


Not How This Was Supposed To Go

by Heres_a_gay_theres_a_gay



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Jack doesn’t come in for a while, Jealous Kara Danvers, Minor Alex Danvers, Minor Veronica Sinclair (DCU), Probably a lot of minor characters, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Supercorp endgame, lots of fluff, minor Jealous Kara Danvers, mostly Lena’s POV, they are soft gays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:09:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 31,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25041436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heres_a_gay_theres_a_gay/pseuds/Heres_a_gay_theres_a_gay
Summary: Lena has been going to Midvale every school year since the sixth-grade, but her freshman year Lillian decided she was going to live there for the foreseeable future without anyone. Kara's parents died last year, but this is her first year in the Midvale school district. They meet the week before school starts in a football mishap, and from there... it doesn't go how it was supposed to.
Relationships: Kara Danvers & Lena Luthor, Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 46
Kudos: 274





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm just going to say it at the top and be done with it: Hope your eyes don't bleed.

Lena pulled up to the estate she would be calling home for the next four years. Her parents had sent her to a small beach town, Midvale, for school since the sixth grade, and this year they told her she would be staying until she graduated. They told the press something about expanding her horizons and building her independence, but it was clearly just a way to get their “rebel” daughter as far away as they could. She stepped out of the car to find that the driver had somehow already managed to unload her luggage and was beginning to carry it up the steps of the estate.

“No, Wess, let me help with that!” Lena was quick to reach for half the bags carried by her driver and fall into step next to him. Before he could protest Lena added, “Mother isn’t here to stop me from being a decent human being, so you should get used to it.”

That earned a slight chuckle from the broad old man who conceded with a sigh. “Where shall we put your bags?”  
“Somewhere in the guest house, please. And would you mind picking some things up from the grocery store for me? I doubt Lillian stocked the fridge with anything I could make myself.”

“You don’t want me to carry your bags upstairs, do you Miss?” Wess realized with a smile.

Lena straightened her posture, raising her chin and casting her eyes down. “I plead the fifth.”

“Very well ma’am. Do you have a list of what you’d like?” 

Lena grinned broadly, “I’ll text it to you. Thank you Wess!” she pecked him on the cheek before strolling off to settle into her home.

~~~

Lena was quick to move her bags and begin unpacking. She was rather proud of the skills that she had begged the staff at the mansion to teach her. She made the bed, folded her clothes, and cleaned the room in the time it took for Wess to return and call for her.

“In the guest house!” she called back, standing proudly as she looked at her accomplishment.

Wess laughed when he found his way to her room. “Are you going to paint the walls black too?”

“Hey!” Lena slapped his shoulder in mock offense. “It’s just the desk and sheets!”

“That’s all you have in your room, Miss.”

“I can fire you, you know that?”

“Yes, I do Miss. But I’m certain you wouldn’t.”

“I wouldn’t be.”

Wess smiled at that - he had been Lena’s favorite since she moved in with the Luthors at three, and she had quickly become his favorite as well. He had supervised her every year in Midvale and knew she would never want anyone else to take his job.

~~~

After a week of arranging the guest house into a home rather than a museum, Lena was just about satisfied. Wess was relocating some of the hideous art that could somehow sell for enough to buy a small country, and Lena was setting up her telescope on the roof - a large part of her choosing the room she did was quick roof access for star gazing. Once she was satisfied she returned to her room to find Wess laying out her bathing suits.

“Uh.... Wess? I thought we already organized my closet?”

He turned with a start, clenching his heart once he realized it was her. “Dear God, you can’t sneak up on an old man like that Miss!”

Lena gave him a bashful smile. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize I was being quiet. It's a habit.”

“No need to apologize, Miss, you just surprised me. And yes, we did finish your closet, but I believe it’s time you explore the beach.”

Lena crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. “Explore the beach?”

“Yes, Miss. I know you don’t like the water, but this will help you make friends.”

“Wess, I love you, but no. I doubt those even fit me anymore.” the young girl’s face scrunched up and she waved vaguely at the two bathing suits displayed on her bed.

Wess raised an eyebrow, amused by the girl who hadn’t changed since she first came to the Luthors. “Miss, your mother had you measured for them just this spring.”

“I don’t like it though.” Lena’s shoulders sagged and she directed her best pout towards who was currently her biggest enemy.

“While that worked on me when you were 3, I gained immunity around 6, don’t you recall?” Wess smiled softly at the deflating brunette. “Lena, I’m only here for this first week. I want to ensure you will succeed here.”

That was all it took for Lena to cave - Wess never used her first name, despite how many times she had asked. She let out a dramatic sigh and waved at the simple red bikini. “I’ll wear that one.”

“Good choice Miss.”

~~~

Lena didn’t like the beach. Surely that’s part of the reason that her mother chose this estate to send her to. The sand got everywhere and was near impossible to wash away. The ocean was salty and unpredictable. There was little to no reason to endure it, and yet so many people seemed obsessed.

“Wess, are you sure I have to do this?” Lena asked one last time, standing at the edge of the estate and looking out over the beach.

“I would love it if you did, Miss.” Wess’s tone gave away the fact that he knew Lena couldn’t say no to him.

“And you promise that when I get back the sand will be gone by the time I’m out of the shower?”

“Everything but the bathroom will be spotless.”

With one last glance at Wess and a look that would suggest she was going to war rather than the beach, Lena stepped out onto the sand. She was only a few feet into it when a football came out of nowhere and knocked her to the ground.

Lena immediately went to stand and march back to Wess, who was still watching from the porch, but before she had gathered enough wits to move a voice was shouting at her.

“Oh no, gosh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you, there’s usually no one down here, I didn’t mean to hit you, gosh, are you okay?” 

Lena’s vision was blurry from how hard the ball had hit her, but she could vaguely make out the person rushing to her side - long blonde hair, tan… the closer the person got the better Lena could see them, and she very quickly realized that a girl had just almost knocked her out. A very very pretty girl. A gorgeous girl actually. A girl with perfect waves in her hair, sparkling blue eyes, toned muscles, a perfect tan- her thoughts were interrupted as the girl kneeled in front of her, face full of concern. 

“Are you okay? I’m so sorry I didn’t see you.” As the ringing in Lena’s ears faded, she picked up on a slight accent in the girl’s voice that made it sound almost like a song.

“I- yeah, I’m okay,” Lena squinted against the glare of the sun, realizing she was lying on her back in the sand but for some reason not getting up.

“Can you stand?”  
“Yeah, I can stand, just let me…” Lena moved to push herself up as she spoke, but her vision was still blurry and she slipped. The blonde girl caught her and helped her into a sitting position.

“I don’t think you can,” she said with a good-hearted chuckle that made Lena blush. “It’s okay, I’ll sit with you for a bit if you want.”

Over the blonde’s shoulder, she could see Wess waiting to see what she would say - Lena was usually pretty against interacting with people her age her parents made her speak to, let alone complete strangers. She smiled slightly at his concern.

“Uh, yeah. Yeah, that’d be nice.” Lena responded after a beat, looking back to the girl in front of her and offering a hand to shake. “I’m Lena.”

The blonde smiled broadly, accepting Lena’s hand for a firm handshake. “I’m Kara.”

“Nice to meet you, Kara. Do you usually hit random girls in the head with footballs?”

Kara blushed deeply, adjusting her glasses and glancing down. “Uh, no, not usually. I didn’t mean to, I really am sorry for that.”

Lena smiled slightly. “It’s okay, I was imagining way worse scenarios the first time I talked to someone in this town.”

That made Kara’s head shoot back up. “You’re new?”

Lena shrugged, “Kind of. I come here every year for school, but this year I’m here permanently.”

Kara’s smile brightened. “I moved here last year! I’ve got a pretty good grip on the town if you want a tour now that you’re a full resident.”

Lena’s polite smile broadened into a genuine one. “I think I’d like that.”

~~~

When Lena eventually tried standing again, it was with Kara’s firm arm helping her up and guiding her steps. She probably could have stood on her own within minutes of her first attempt, but she still spent over an hour sitting in the sand with Kara.

“You really don’t have to walk me back Kara, I’m not even dizzy anymore.”

Kara shook her head firmly. “I insist. No one lives down here, I’m not letting you walk all the way back to the town by yourself.”

“Um, I’m actually pretty close to home.” Lena’s eyes fixed on the deck that connected to the bathroom she planned to use to minimize the tracking of sand through the house, and Kara’s eyes followed. 

“Alex said no one’s lived there for ages,” Kara cocked her head to the side as she spoke, eyebrows crinkling in confusion. “Something about a second property?”

Lena suddenly felt very silly for her living situation. “Uh, yeah, it belongs to my family. We haven’t used it much until now.”

Kara’s jaw dropped as she connected the dots. “I hit Lena Luthor in the face with a football?”

Lena felt very embarrassed by this situation, but she still put on a defensive face at the use of her last name. “What do you mean?”

Kara rushed to clarify, “No no no no, not like Luthor is bad, I honestly don’t know a whole lot about you, just what Alex told me. I just know you are super important and I hit you in the face!”

Lena’s shoulders relaxed slightly at the earnest in the taller girl’s voice. “I’m hardly ‘super important’, no need to worry. I’ve planned a route to get as little sand in the house as possible. Do you want to walk me to the side door?”

Kara chuckled at that. “I may have only lived here for a year, but even I know sand is going to get everywhere no matter what.”

“Let me hope,” the brunette glared.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” Kara conceded, offering her arm once again in a knightly gesture. “Shall we m’lady?”

Lena fought a snort at the motion but accepted the arm nonetheless. “Certainly m’lord.”

~~~

“You were on the beach for quite some time, Miss,” Wess mentioned nonchalantly the next morning, causing Lena to freeze with her toast halfway to her mouth.

“Don’t you dare Wess.”

He didn’t look up from the plate he was drying. “Did you enjoy yourself?”

“Don’t start,” Lena warned with a clear edge in her voice as she set down her toast.

“Or were you enjoying someone’s company?”

The statement caused the young girl to tense. “I shouldn’t even justify that with a response.”

Wess gave a small smile and laugh as he put away the plate in his hand. “I’m just glad you are making the best of your time here, Miss.”

Lena closed her eyes to clear her mind for a moment. This is _not_ how this is supposed to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so this was chapter one... hopefully chapter two will be up soon. I hope you enjoyed it!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Freshman year, semester one: somehow Kara breezes through Lena's usual boundaries and the poor gay is confused.

Wess had been called back to the Luthor Mansion the day before school started, just as planned. Her mother wanted her high school years to teach her how to be an adult, which really meant her mother wanted her to take up as few Luthor resources as possible. Lena walked into the halls of Midvale Highschool just as she had the middle school - head high, shoulders back, collar crisp. All it took was two words to turn her confident stance into a threatening one.

“Hey, Luthor!” The voice was all too familiar, a boy named Mike whose family was friends with Lena’s. If it weren’t for his last name Lena would have socked him in the face in the seventh grade when he tried to stick his hand up her shirt.

“What do you want Mike?” Lena asked as she turned to him with crossed arms and a sharp look.

Mike put his hands up in mock surrender. “Wowa, no need to get feisty babe.”

Lena rolled her eyes. “We’re not dating Mike.”

“Our parents would love it if we did though,” the cocky boy countered with a smirk.

“Well, I’m not my mommy’s little bitch like you.”

The way Lena spat the words got the attention of the handful of other kids in the hallway, and that was all it took for Mike to back off. He knew if he fought Lena in public it would just end in his embarrassment. “No need to get so defensive, are you PMSing or something? Geez. See ya in class, Luthor.”

“That was impressive,” another familiar voice chimed in from her side. Lena turned to see Kara, just as stunning as she had been four days ago on the beach.

“Kara, hi,” Lena’s breath was shallow and she wasn’t sure why.

Kara offered a broad smile, “You remembered me?”

“I don’t have a memory condition, so yeah.”

That got Kara to blush. “Right.” After a long pause, Kara asked, “Any chance you know where room 163 is? It’s my first period.”

Lena nodded, “yeah, it’s mine too. Follow me.”

~~~

When they walked into room 163, Chemistry, the board said to pick a partner for the introductory activity. Kara instantly turned to ask Lena to be her partner, but Mike was already on her arm.

“Partners?” he asked with a smile that he had to have practiced in the mirror.

Lena knew she couldn’t say no - the relations between the Luthor and Daxm families were stilted, and if Lena didn’t play nice with Mike those stilts could snap. She put on her own practiced smile. “Of course.”

Kara watched the interaction curiously before casting her eyes around the room. It looked like just about everyone in the class was here, and they were all paired with someone. Great.

The bell rang and Kara was still the only person without a partner. That’s when the teacher approached her with a short boy with spiky black hair. “Do you have a partner?” Kara shook her head. “This is Winn, he doesn’t have one either.” The boy, Winn, gave an awkward smile and a tiny wave.

Kara put on a smile of her own, and while it was almost genuine she still hated this feeling. “Hey, I’m Kara.”

~~~

Somehow Winn and Kara had every class together, and Kara quickly became friends with him. During the four classes Lena shared with her Lena would watch her work, waiting for one of the girl’s impossibly bright smiles. As Lena left sixth period, sights set for home, Kara caught her wrist.

“Do you wanna hang out? Winn and I were going to go to the beach.”

Lena thought about it for a moment before Mike slung his arm around her shoulders. “She’s not a fan of the beach, sorry.”

Kara’s face scrunched in confusion. “That’s where we met though.”

Lena shrugged off Mike’s heavy arm. “Yeah, it was the first time I’d stepped onto the sand in two years. I have a lot of work to do, but maybe next time alright?”

Kara nodded, confusion still clear on her face. Lena gave her a polite smile before she turned to leave. Mike lingered for a second, looking Kara up and down with a leer before he too left.

~~~   
That was the last interaction the girls had for the next month. Kara was confused by Lena’s response to her invitation to hang out, and when she had asked Alex about it her sister had just shrugged and said, “the rich kids are weird.” Lena, for her part, wasn’t sure how to interact with someone as bright as Kara and had no idea where to begin figuring it out. 

A month into school though they got their first history project - they were put into assigned pairs to study one of the founding fathers. Kara and Lena were paired together, and when Kara settled next to the brunette she could hear the girl’s uneven breathing.

“You okay?” Kara asked with genuine concern.

Lena looked up at her with a smile, eyes briefly darting towards Mike who was quietly arguing with the teacher in the corner. “Yeah, I just expected to get a partner I didn’t want.”

Kara smiled back, not missing the glance. “Glad I could get you away from him.”

Lena didn’t respond to that, just turned her attention to the article they were supposed to be reading on James Madison. After reading in silence for a while, Kara spoke again.

“Why do you hang out with him?”

Lena looked up, surprised by the sudden question. “Pardon?”

“Mike,” Kara clarified, “why are you his friend? If that’s okay for me to ask.”

Lena’s expression hardened. “It’s not.”

Sensing she had just stumbled into very dangerous territory Kara mumbled an apology and returned to the reading. Lena’s stiff posture didn’t relax though, staying perfectly stiff for the rest of the class. When the bell rang their teacher announced the assignment as they packed up.

“I want you to come in with a presentation on Monday, okay? M-o-n-d-a-y. Monday. So make sure you work with your partner over the weekend to finish!” 

Kara fell into step with Lena on the way out. “Are you doing anything after school?”

“Probably this project,” Lena responded flatly, distracted by a text from her mother.

“Oh! Perfect! I was going to ask if you wanted to work on it after school.”

Lena stopped and turned to face the girl at her side. “You actually want to work on it?”

“Uh… yeah? It’s a group assignment?” Kara’s brows knitted together in clear confusion.

“Yeah, it is. Most people don’t usually try with group assignments though.” Lena thought for a moment. “Okay. Do you remember where my house is?” Kara nodded. “Meet me there an hour after school.” Kara nodded again, but Lena was already walking away. her mother was really getting on her last nerve this week - all she had asked for was a driver so she didn’t have to walk 45 minutes to get to school.

~~~

In the following three hours before school ended Lena completely forgot that Kara was coming over. Between her mother’s constant lecturing over text and Mike’s constant sleezyness in person, Lena didn’t have much brainpower left for memory. She was walking out of her sixth period when Kara slid up next to her.

“Hey! See you in an hour right?’ 

Lena’s face briefly gave away her surprise, but she quickly hid it. “Yeah, of course.”

Kara all but skipped over to where an edgy looking brunette girl was waiting for her with a few other kids. It was clear the brunette was who Kara was approaching, and for some reason, Lena really wanted to know who the girl was. 

Shaking her head to expel brewing thoughts, she set a fast pace for home - it would take her almost the full hour to get to the estate, let alone figure out where they were meeting and what for. Lena had zero recollection of making plans with Kara and had been far too nervous to ask. The blonde was the most genuine person in her life and she wasn’t eager to scare that away. 

School let out at 3:00, so Lena figured she had until 3:50 to figure out what she was supposed to do. The mark came and went without her piecing together anything. At 3:55 she was about to cave and call Mike, who knew a scary amount about her days, to see if he had heard her mention anything. Just as she was pulling up his contact there was a notification on her phone from the security system - someone was at the door?

Lena paused, trying to think who could be knocking. Wess would know to come to the guest house door, and her mother would never send anyone to check on her in the first place. Mike was ballsy with his pestering, but not ballsy enough to come to her house. She opened the security app to see who it was.

“No…” was the only thing she could say when she saw the slightly pixelated version of Kara Danvers standing at her door. Why was Kara here? It wasn’t even 4:00 yet, why would she have come looking for her already when she said an hour? She rushed to the main house, trying to hide behind the bushes so Kara couldn’t see her. She unlocked the back door and all but ran through the house, making it to the front and gathering herself just as Kara rang the bell a second time.

She waited for a beat before opening the door, hoping it wasn’t clear she had just sprinted across half the estate. “Kara! Hi!”

Kara gave her a confused look - apparently, her surprise was obvious. “Alex said arriving five minutes early is reasonable?”

Lena’s eyebrows rose in a brief show of her own confusion. “Pardon?”

“You said to come to your house an hour after school ended, and I’m only five minutes early. Why is your breathing so fast?”

Thrown off by her surprise that she invited someone to the estate, Lena gave a forced smile. “I was just on the other side of the house and didn’t want to keep you waiting.”

It was clear Kara didn’t believe her, but she smiled back anyway - the blonde’s smile being much more genuine. “Is this when I come in and we work?”

Lena laughed at that - she really should be better at greeting people after being the pretty face at the door of Luthor galas for the past two years. She stepped aside, gesturing for Kara to come in. When she did, there was an audible gasp.

“You… live here?” the girl’s blue eyes turned to Lena, full of amazement that brought a light blush to Lena’s cheeks.

“Uh, yeah. I do,” she rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. “Um, here, this lounge room is a good one for working.”

“You have a lounge room?” Kara’s amazement was evident in her voice before she caught on to ‘this’ implying there is more than one. “You have  _ multiple  _ lounge rooms?”

Lena gave a small but genuine laugh. “Yeah, it’s a bit overkill. Take it up with my father and his builder.”

“Your father had this built?” Kara was still trying to understand how someone got this huge house, let alone had it built custom, but Lena was already turning a corner out of sight. The blonde shook her head in one last moment of disbelief before jogging to catch up.

The project was rather simple - a poster with at least one picture of James Madison, a quote of his, and three facts. Lena set about boxing off the piece of construction paper Kara had brought into the sections. Kara watched her for a second, expecting her to ask for help. When it became clear Lena had no intention of that, Kara pulled the article from class out of her bag and started scanning it.

“What are you doing?” Lena asked without looking up from her lines.

“Uh. We need a quote? So I’m looking for a quote?” 

“Why?”

“Because we need a quote? And you’re doing the poster right now?”

Lena put down the pencil she was lining with and gave Kara her full attention. “You actually plan to help with this?”

Kara’s brows knit together to form a confused crinkle that Lena was beginning to look for. “Uh, yeah? It’s my project too right?”

Lena studied the blonde for a moment, trying to find a reason for her to be lying. Coming up empty, she gave a small nod. “Sure. Okay then. Do you think you could find a quote about his opinion on the constitution? Specifically the writing of it? I’ve already found some facts that would relate to that.”

Kara nodded, feeling an odd sense of pride at Lena’s given task.

~~~

Their poster turned out rather nicely and scored them an A. Their teacher told them it was one of the best in class, and that since the pair worked so well together she would put them in a group for the rest of the semester. Kara seemed pleased by this, and Lena was too. Well, Lena was happy she wasn’t going to be working with Mike all semester. She wasn’t sure how she felt about working with Kara. 

Over the next month of projects, Lena decided that there definitely were worse people for her to have been partnered with. Kara always genuinely wanted to help on the projects and was good at them too. History was far from her strongest subject, but the blonde was a good student who knew how to make something engaging. Lena was quickly adapting to her glowingly optimistic personality, which made their time working together almost enjoyable. Almost.

After the first few projects, it became clear the Luthor estate was the obvious place for them to work. Kara’s house was full of distractions, from her sister’s loud music to her mother’s constant fretting. It was honestly just too lively of a place for any proper work to be done. They tried the local cafe, but one paper covered in coffee stains put a quick end to that. In the end, they circled back to the estate, and Lena was left in a position she had never found herself in before. She definitely wasn’t going to have Kara in the guest house - that’s where she had taken up residence and she wasn’t comfortable with letting someone look into her life like that. But she could tell Kara wasn’t comfortable in the uptight, formal space that was the rest of the estate.

Lena was trying to make the room they worked in look a little less formal - she had moved the more expensive decorations and was returning with a hopefully inviting blanket to throw on the couch.

“Hey, Lee!” Kara was waiting for her when she got there, sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table with her back resting against the couch. Lena had started leaving the front door unlocked for her, and eventually, Kara had just started walking in. 

Lee was new though. Lena had never had a nickname. Partly because there’s not a whole lot to do with a four-letter name, but mostly because she had never had the type of relationships that gave nicknames. 

“Hey,” Lena pushed down whatever weird feeling the nickname filled her stomach with and sat down next to Kara, throwing the blanket on the couch as she did so.

“The fine Luthor estate is allowed to have blankets?” Kara teased, sensing that Lena was off in some way and unsure how to fix it. The jab seemed to do the trick however, as it got a shy smile from Lena that Kara was always happy to see.

“Uh, I know you’re not super comfortable here, so I was trying to soften it a bit.”

Kara’s jaw dropped slightly, and she looked at Lena like she had just said the cutest thing in the world - which, to be fair, she kind of had. “That… is beyond sweet.” Kara’s voice was appreciative, but she saw how it made Lena shrink in on herself and adapted back to her teasing. “Glad to see everyone at school was wrong - you do have the scraps of a heart.”

That earned a slight shove from Lena before she changed the topic by pulling out the assignment. As she shuffled through her papers, she couldn’t help but think about how comfortable she was starting to feel with Kara. She hadn’t had this soft feeling since… well, since ever probably. Lena closed her eyes for a moment to change her train of thought. That is  _ not  _ how this is supposed to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yooooooo I have no idea how I got this bad boy out so fast. Apparently I've got a lot of inspiration on this fic. I've even finished chapter 3 already.... I'll probably post it when I've got a good start on chapter four though - give myself some grace if this unprecedented motivation decides to leave.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Semester 2 of their freshman year, Lena’s walls are being taken down brick by brick.

Lena had stayed at the estate for winter break. She usually did, but this year she didn’t even have to come up with an excuse not to come home - she lived in Midvale and couldn’t make the flight with such a short school break. Lillian didn’t even pretend to invite her. It was an odd mix of bliss and hurt.

Unsurprisingly, after a semester of amazing projects, their History teacher asked once again if they would be willing to work together for the semester and they both agreed. They had been assigned a simple welcome back project over the weekend, and Lena expected Kara at the estate about an hour after school, as had become their normal.

Much to her surprise, Kara met her outside her sixth period with an air of uncertainty Lena couldn’t have ever equated to the outgoing girl. Kara waved when they locked eyes, so Lena made her way through the crowds to where she stood.

“Hey, Kara. Do you need something?” Lena didn’t want to sound blunt, but she was caught off guard and didn’t know what else to say.

“Uh, well, not exactly. It’s just, well today is Eliza’s birthday and-”

Lena instantly recognized the name of Kara’s foster mom and interrupted her. “Hey, no worries, go celebrate with your family. I’ll have the project done by Monday.”

Kara’s head snapped up with wide eyes. “No!” Seeming to realize the forcefulness of her voice, she adjusted. “I mean, I don’t want you doing all the work is all. It’s not fair. I’m happy to come over at four like usual, but we have plans tonight so we wouldn’t have much time.”

“We can always work on it this weekend I suppose,” Lena offered, unsure why Kara was being so odd about the request.

“Um, well, no, because Eliza loves camping so we always go on her birthday weekend.”

Lena tilted her head, trying to piece together what Kara was getting at.

“I- I guess I’m just asking if I can come home with you? My sister is willing to give us a ride, so we’d have like another full hour to work, and-”

Lena interrupted what she was sure would be a very polite ramble with a smile. “If your sister is willing to give us a ride, we can totally go straight to my house. Is she waiting for us?”

Kara nodded and gestured for Lena to follow her, which she did. Lena did her best to collect herself while Kara wasn’t watching, trying to recover from the surprise of yet another breach of routine. This would mean she and Kara arrived at the same time, and Lena relied on that 15 minutes she had at home before Kara arrived to make the estate more lived in. The only thing stopping her from fully panicking was- well, actually, she wasn’t sure. Maybe it’s the way Kara blindly reached behind her for Lena’s hand as a way to check she was still following her. Maybe it was the way, once Lena got the message and placed her thin hand over Kara’s, Kara gave a quick squeeze before letting go. Maybe it was the way Lena’s heart seemed to instantly slow down at the motion.

“Kara! There you are!” 

“Don’t be dramatic Alex, the bell rang like five minutes ago.” The affection in Kara’s tone was clear, to the point that Lena blushed slightly from the second hand admiration. She snapped out of it when Kara turned to her though, gesturing her forward slightly. “Alex, this is Lena. Lena, this is Alex.”

Alex stuck out her hand, and Lena was suddenly very comfortable - handshakes were business, and if there was one thing she was being raised for it was business. “Nice to meet you,” Lena offered with her perfected formal smile and firm handshake.

Alex was clearly surprised by the confidence, but matched it well. “Likewise. It’s nice to meet the girl my little sister has been raving about for the past four months.”

Kara rolled her eyes, seemingly unimpressed by Alex’s taunts. “Do you want me to tell her how much you talk about-” Alex clamped her hand over her sister’s mouth before she could say the name.

“I think I agreed to a ride, not a gossip session,” Alex said sharply. Suddenly Alex pulled her hand away with a disgusted shout, “You  _ licked  _ me? What the hell Kara!”

Kara just stood there with a self satisfied smile and offered nothing more than a shrug.

Alex rolled her eyes and whipped her hand on Kara’s shirt. “Whatever. Your lucky mom would kill me if I touched you.” With that she turned and walked towards the parking lot, leaving Kara and Lena to scurry after her.

~~~   
The pair stepped out of Alex’s car, Lena leading the way to the front door. She stretched little tasks like finding her keys in her bag, thinking that maybe that would be able to replace her usual prep time. Pushing open the door and stepping into the entryway, it became clear to her that no amount of stalling could have replaced actual prep. Kara, oblivious to Lena’s inner turmoil, slipped off her shoes and waited for Lena to lead the way further into the house.

“You painted,” Kara said the moment they stepped into their usual study room. 

“Oh- yeah. It was my project over break,” Lena explained, suddenly self conscious over a whole different aspect of letting Kara into what was technically her home.

“Over break?” Kara asked, tilting her head and furrowing her brows as she often did when confused by something Lena says. “I thought you lived alone here?”

Lena nodded, “Yeah, I do. My brother and parents live in Metropolis.”

Kara’s brows knit closer together. “But you didn’t go there for the break?”

“No, the flight wouldn’t really be worth it.”

“Did they come here?”

Lena let out a bold laugh at that. Realizing Kara was serious though, she shook her head firmly. “My family is far too busy for that.”

Kara’s jaw dropped slightly as she finally realized - “You were alone over the holidays?”

Lena shrugged, throwing her backpack on the couch and looking for the assignment. “I guess so. I haven’t really celebrated since I came to live with the Luthors though.”

Kara looked aghast. “Okay, a few things there. First, you don’t celebrate Christmas, or you don’t celebrate holidays?” 

“Both,” Lena said with a shrug, pulling out her history folder and sitting on the couch with it. She looked up to find Kara still standing rooted in the doorway. “What? The Luthors aren’t very big on celebrations.”

Kara shook her head in disbelief. “I… I don’t know what to say to that.”

Lena shrugged as she pulled out the papers their teacher had given them, “It’s not a big deal. You don’t really have to say anything.”

Kara nodded, seeming to finally move on from that shock as she moved to sit next to Lena on the couch in silence. She pulled a highlighter and notes out of her bag, looking for anything that pertained to their project. After a moment of them both working quietly, Lena broke the silence. It was something that happened so rarely the sound of her voice made Kara jump slightly.

“What else?” she asked. When Kara clearly didn’t get the question, she explained, “when I said I hadn’t celebrated since coming to the Luthors, you said you had a few things to say. You only said one thing.”

Kara’s mouth formed a silent oh. She thought for a moment, fidgeting with the corner of her notes sheet before looking back to Lena. “You… you said you came to the Luthors. I know we aren’t exactly the best of friends or anything so you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but…”

“You’re asking if I was adopted?” Lena guessed. When Kara gave a small nod, Lena continued. “Yeah, I was. My mother died when I was four and Lionel decided to take me in.”

Kara nodded, not showing any signs of the suffocating pity that most people had when Lena told them about her mother. The blonde merely offered a small, “It’s hard.”

Something about Kara’s response made Lena want to open up more, and before she could think better of it she was. 

“Um, we had gone to a lake to visit some family. We went swimming, and I was watching from the shore because I got cold. Out of nowhere she started flailing around, and I- I didn’t know what to do.” Lena paused, half expecting Kara to interject her sympathies. Surprisingly, the girl kept quiet, portraying silent understanding that led Lena to press on further. 

“I was four, I could barely swim myself. I didn’t know what to do, and then it was too late.” She heard the hitching of her voice and felt the tears in her eyes, but something about Kara made her want to continue. “I- I should’ve done something- anything. I could- I could have helped her. I  _ should  _ have helped her.”

Kara opened her arms, and Lena found herself leaning into them. Something about the comforting warmth of Kara’s embrace relaxed Lena enough to let her tears fall silently. After a moment Kara’s soft voice whispered, “I was thirteen when the fire killed my parents. I couldn’t save them at thirteen.”

Those words were better than any “it’s not your fault” or “you were so brave” any adult had ever given her. Lena pulled away, whipping her eyes with a laugh. “You came here to work on a History assignment, not to have me unload my deepest trauma on you.”

Kara offered a warm smile and turned back to the work in front of her. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but somehow Kara just got even softer than she had been before.

~~~

That day changed their trends once again. When they had a project to do, Lena would find Kara waiting outside her sixth period and Alex would drive them to the estate. After that first day, Lena found herself much less anxious about not fixing up the study room before Kara came. Lena had decided she wanted to ensure that Kara was comfortable in that room though, so she started taking mental and later physical notes whenever she could.

There were a few obvious things, like her getting pillows for the floor since Kara almost always sat criss cross in front of the coffee table. But most of them were smaller things that Lena slowly started picking up on.

For example, Kara’s stomach usually started grumbling around 3:30 so Lena started observing what she ate in class. Usually it was snacks like trail mix or goldfish, which were easy enough for Lena to keep a stock of. The look of pure awe on her face when Lena figured out her favorite trail mix was enough for Lena to know she was slowly accomplishing her goal.

“Hey Lee?” Kara hesitantly broke the silence one day while they were working on research for their history final project. 

Lena didn’t look up from her laptop, sure that she had finally found an article that would perfectly compliment their theme. “Hm?”

“Uh, would you be okay with helping me study for our chem final?” The timidness in Kara’s voice was lost on a very focused Lena Luthor.

“Yeah sure. You can study with me whenever you want.” Lena threw out the offer without thinking, and as soon as it was out of her mouth her head snapped up to take it back. The beaming smile on Kara’s face stopped her in her tracks.

“Really?”

Lena gave a small smile of her own. “Yeah. Really.”

Lying in bed that night, Lena realized that probably meant Kara was not only comfortable there, but genuinely wanted to be there too. The thought alone of Kara wanting to be around Lena was enough to make her feel fuzzy inside. This is not how it was supposed to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aye back at it again with the quick posting! Apparently I’m just on a kick with this fic. Hopefully I’ll have chapter 4 up by the end of the week at this rate.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sophomore year, semester one... Lena’s gay guys.

Lena had missed Kara. She didn’t expect to, because she never misses anyone, but over summer break she had gone as far as setting up an area on the beach incase Kara wandered down her way. Sadly, there had been no sign of the blonde. Even Lillian sending Wess to help her go back to school shopping wasn’t enough to cheer her up.

“Miss, that is the third dress you’ve tried on,” Wess noted from his seat next to the tailor.

“Why does that have you worried?” Lena asked as she examined herself in the mirror outside the dressing room.

“You haven’t worn a dress casually since you were seven,” Wess reminded, a fact that her tailor nodded her agreement to.

“Well maybe you’re rubbing off on me then,” Lena joked, referencing when Wess would dress up to make her laugh after Lillian had been particularly cruel.

“My escapades into dresses lasted as long as your laughter, Miss. I’m not seeing so much as a smile from you.”

Lena looked down, examining the way that the form fitting sundress hung on her body. “Hm, maybe I should try the red one from before.”

“Or maybe you should try some jeans,” Wess countered.

Lena shook her head firmly. “No, I think I’ll give that red dress a whirl first.”

As the tailor shuffled off to find the requested dress, Wess fixed Lena with a firm look.

“Now Wess, I know it has a bit of a generous neckline, but I can always wear something underneath. No need to be protective.” Lena knew that wasn’t what the look was for, but she really wasn’t in the mood for whatever call out Wess had for her.

“What’s wrong with you?” 

Lena was surprised by his bluntness and allowed it to show on her face. “Pardon?”

Wess sighed, standing and walking to her side. “You hate dresses.” Before Lena could open her mouth to suggest that could have changed, Wess continued. “You still do, if you didn’t your face wouldn’t look like you were staring at vomit every time you look at yourself. What’s making you try them on?”

Lena knew why - a voice she recognized better than her own sighing wistfully and saying “dresses are so lovely…” in a dreamy tone while the prettiest girl in their grade walked past being the main reason - but she certainly wasn’t going to admit it to herself or to Wess. Instead she just shrugged.

“Trying something new I suppose.”

~~~

Walking into school in a black dress with a flannel around her waist on the first day of school, Lena knew Wess had been right. Thank God he would be gone by the time she was home from school - his relentless teasing would not be enjoyable. The voice she was dreadding was, of course, the first she heard.

“Hey, Luthor. Trying out a new look?”

“Can you really not go five minutes without annoying me?” Lena’s tone was exasperated as she turned to face Mike.

The man child just grinned. “You know you love me babe.”

“For the last time Mike, we could not be further from dating.”

Before he could answer a blonde blur was ramming into Lena, wrapping her in a tight hug. Something about the person was familiar enough for Lena to wrap her arms around them in response long before her brain realized who it was - Kara.

The girl pulled back sheepishly, body language shy despite her broad smile. “Sorry, I just missed you.”

Lena laughed, the fact that was the first hug she’d had since she was seven something she would unpack later. “Fair enough.”

“You’re a hugger now Luthor?” Mike’s voice was an unpleasant reminder that he still existed. Kara also seemed to have been unaware that he was there, spinning around as soon as he spoke.

“Oh! Uh, Mike right? Sorry, I didn’t realize you were talking-”

“We weren’t really,” Lena interrupted, eager for a reason to disengage from the boy and being given the perfect one when the bell rang. “Walk you to your first period?”

Kara nodded with a broad smile, before shooting a shyer one to Mike as they walked away from the angry looking boy. “Am I still not allowed to ask about him?” Kara questioned as soon as they were out of earshot.

Lena’s confusion at the statement showed in her eyes, but eventually she remembered their conversation a year ago in history class. She was quiet for a moment, and Kara gave her time to decide on her response. “You’re allowed to,” Lena eventually spoke, slowly and carefully. “But I may not answer.”

Kara hummed her understanding. “Would it make you uncomfortable?” At Lena’s nod the blonde laced their arms together and offered a bright, understanding smile. “Then I won’t ask.”

Lena almost tripped at the genuine tone of Kara’s voice - the blonde was beyond curious about the topic, that much was clear solely in the way Kara studied her and Mike’s interactions. Yet even when Lena had told her she could ask, even when she said there was a chance she would answer, Kara opted for Lena’s comfort instead. It wasn’t something she was used to, and it threw her off. At least, that was the excuse she would later give herself for what she said next.

“Are we friends?”

This time it was Kara who tripped over herself. “Uh, I- do you want to be?” Kara’s voice was full of nerves -  _ she  _ thought of her and Lena as some level of friends, but if there was one thing she picked up on from the gossip around the dark haired beauty it was that she wasn’t one to allow friendships.

Lena thought for a moment. “I don’t know.”

Kara didn’t know how to respond to that, so she didn’t. Lena seemed fine with the silence, maintaining it until Kara stopped in front of her first period. 

“Room 218, this is me,” Kara didn’t know why her voice sounded so stilted and awkward, but she didn’t like it.

Lena tilted her head as she looked past Kara and into the classroom. “You’re taking a digital art class this year?”

Kara nodded, awkwardly rubbing the back of her neck. “Uh, yeah, I guess I kinda picked up an interest watching you do the drawings for our slideshows and stuff. You made it look super cool so uh…”

That had Lena’s attention back on Kara’s face, searching for any hint of a lie. Coming up empty, she offered a shy but genuine smile. “Really?” She didn’t know Kara paid attention to her while she drew. She wasn’t even really sure that Kara  _ knew  _ she drew almost all the images on their slides. Something about it made her insides swim.

Kara gave a small, unsure smile. “Really. Is- is that okay?”

Lena just gave a firm nod, not fully understanding the feeling in her stomach as she held Kara’s soft eyes for a long beat. They were a crystal blue, always twinkling with emotion. The warning bell rung, snapping her out of her thoughts. “Uhm, my class is in the science hall, I should probably…”

Kara also seemed to be coming out of a daze as she stumbled her way through a goodbye. “Oh! Yeah, uh, totally. I’ll- I’ll see you around. Uh, yeah. See ya!” Kara quickly ducked into the classroom after that horrible goodbye, far from happy to see Winn standing there looking all too amused. 

~~~

Lena was surprised when she walked into her English class to find a beaming Kara Danvers waving her over. Lena approached her with a smile, stopping in front of the table the blonde had chosen.

Before Lena could say anything, a heavy arm was slung over her shoulder and she heard her least favorite sound against her ear. “Looks like we’ve got another class together, Luthor.” 

Lena watched Kara’s face contort into something between disgust and disappointment before that megawatt smile was back. Completely ignoring Mike, Lena addressed Kara. “Hey Kara! This seat open?”

Kara glanced over - it was a three person table and one spot was being reserved for Winn. “Well, Winn asked me to save him a spot, but yeah!”

Lena fought down a smile - she had seen Winn dashing down the halls as she walked to class, mumbling something about a malfunction. She knew very little about the short boy, but he seemed like Lena’s kind of person. More importantly, sitting with Kara and Winn meant not sitting with Mike.

“Good enough for me,” a small smile shone through despite her efforts as she slid out from under Mike’s arm and into the seat next to Kara. Entirely unhappy with Lena blatantly ignoring him, he slotted himself between her chair and the table. Practically having his crotch in her face broke Lena’s silence.

The raven haired girl looked up at him with a slight smirk, knowing exactly how toget him off her back for at least the time being. “Mike, you’re coming off a bit desperate. If you want a blowjob I’m sure there’s perfectly nice girls out there who would do it in exchange for some cash.”

Kara stifled a laugh at her side, and Mike’s confident face fell, turning red as he tried to think of a good response. Coming up empty handed, he did what he always did - scoff, call Lena emotional, and walk away. 

Once he was gone Lena chances a glance over at Kara, who’s fists were balled so tight her knuckles were white. The soft blue eyes Lena had been caught on earlier that same morning were gone, replaced with cold ice that looked like it could burn through Mike in a second.

“Are you okay, Kara?” Lena’s concerned tone brought Kara back to her usual self, but only slightly. “I’m sorry if he made you uncomfortable, I can talk to him-“

That snapped Kara’s gaze off of the cocky player in the corner, instead fixing an intense gaze on Lena. It wasn’t the same as the death glare she had been giving Mike, but it was still slightly alarming to see on such a soft girl. “No. I don’t want you talking to him on my behalf. He obviously makes you uncomfortable and doesn’t know what no means and he- he’s just- he- he’s such-“ Kara stumbles over her words as her anger melted away looking at Lena’s amused face. She couldn’t think of a good enough insult for the boy.

“An ass?” Lena offered, green eyes sparkling.

Kara frowned, never a fan of swearing, but she had to admit it was fitting. 

~~~

Luckily, English was the only class Lena had with Mike. Sadly, it was also the only class she had with Kara. She missed last year, when they had almost all their classes together. She soon had realized that Kara would wait for Lena to leave - she always liked to leave last - just so they could walk together. Something about it had brought a warmth to Lena’s chest that she missed.

Needless to say, when Kara was waiting outside her sixth period two months into the school year Lena was pleasantly suprised.

“Kara!” She tried to keep her obvious excitement out of her voice, but it stil seeped through into a breathless tone.

The blonde smiled widely, giving Lena a shy wave. “Hi, Lee.”

After a beat of just smiling at each other, causing some kids to grumble as they redirected their paths around the pair, Lena spoke. “Do you need something?” She almost winced at how blunt she sounded, but she still wasn’t good at beating around the bush.

Kara looked down, adjusting her glasses. “Uh, no, not exactly. I uh, I do have a request though.” At Lena’s small nod and smile, Kara continued. “Well, you might remember that I’m not the best at history… remembering all that stuff about all those dead guys, it’s really- uh really not my strong suit.” Lena waited patiently for Kara to stumble her way to her request. “Working with you really helped last year, and, well, last finals week you said I could always study with you. So, like, I dunno, I have a test this Friday, and well-“

“You’re asking if you can come over to study?” Lena asked with a gentle smile.

Kara’s cheeks flushed and she looked down in an attempt to hide it. “Uhm, yeah. If that’s okay?”

She glanced up at Lena with a hopeful look in her eyes that the Luthor just couldn’t say no to. Instead, her soft smile grew slightly and she found herself offering Kara a hand. “Lead the way.”

~~~

Once again, Kara’s small step resulted in a permanent change in their dynamic. They now studied every Friday after school, going over the weeks topics. Kara’s grades, which were mainly B’s last year, quickly escalated to straight A’s thanks to Lena’s thourough notes. Lena’s grades, which had been 100% or higher last year, actually dropped slightly with Kara’s distractions. She didn’t mind though - the occasional 95 didn’t seem to bother her anymore. One proud look from Kara when they checked their grades together was far better.

Some part of Lena wondered if she would ever be confident to take a step, but she doubted it. She was content with embracing the slow but steady change Kara didn’t even seem to know she was bringing. Actually, she was more than content. She was starting to look forward to Kara’s shy requests that took her one step further into Lena’s life. 

“Whatcha thinkin bout?” Kara’s sleepy voice asked from her spot sprawled on the ground. Lena snapped out of her deep thoughts at the sound of that soft voice, smiling at the sight of the blonde’s dramatic position.

“Nothing,” Lena lied. She didn’t know how to say she was thinking about Kara and all the unprecedented things the girl made her feel. But she couldn’t help but wonder, if she could put her thoughts into words, would she be brave enough to tell the source of them?

Kara seemed fine with the answer, offering nothing more than a hum. She was half asleep, that much was obvious, yet she wasn’t making any attempt to leave.

“You’re tired,” Lena stated, unsure why the blonde wasn’t leaving but not really wanting her to.

Kara shrugged, “I just needed to lay down for a bit is all. I can study more in a second.”

Lena frowned, knowing the blonde hadn’t slept the night before as she had opted to study for the very history final they were studying for now. “Studying this tired won’t help you, Kara. You’re pushing yourself too far.”

“I’m not tired though,” Kara sat up as she spoke as if to prove her point. Seeing the concern in Lena’s eyes, Kara’s face softened and she set her hand on top of Lena’s on the table. “I’m okay, Lee. I promise.”

Lena looked down at Kara’s hand, turning her own over and interlacing their fingers. After a beat she let go, looking back up into Kara’s eyes. Seeing the gentle caring in those crystal blues brought light into Lena’s eyes. “Okay.”

Kara smiled, standing so she could sit next to Lena on the couch and share notes with her. Lena’s heart almost stopped when she felt the warmth of Kara’s body gently pressing into her side, but if Kara Danvers was what killed her she’s pretty sure she could die happy. Catching up with her thoughts, Lena silently cursed. This is  _ not  _ how this was supposed to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok let’s just take a moment to appreciate that my family road trip resulted in me writing MORE rather than less & I’m already working on chapter six.... I’m excited.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sophmore year, second semester. Lena’s hella gay, and Kara’s starting to be p gay too.

Lena hadn’t been totally alone over this break. Kara showed up at her door on Christmas Eve, something in her hands that Lena couldn’t make out in the security cameras. Confused and thrown off guard, Lena had simply slipped on some shoes and padded her way to the blonde rather than trying to get to the main house first.

“Hi,” Lena had said it like a breath, arms wrapped tightly around herself to keep in her warmth. 

Kara turned, suprised to see the girl behind her but smiling none the less. “Hi! I- um, yeah. Hi.” Her smile turned shy and her checks flushed.

Lena smiled back, somehow able to feel comfortable even when she had no idea why Kara would be at her door. It was the middle of winter break, in fact- “Kara! It’s Christmas Eve!” Lena’s shock was made clear in her sudden shout with an edge of scolding. “What are you doing here? You should be with your family!”

Kara had blushed a full crimson, looking down and rubbing the back of her neck. “Well, uhm, I know you were alone last year, so I figured since you didn’t mention any plans it was a safe bet you’d be alone this year too.”

Lena’s chest felt full knowing Kara had thought about this. “You should still be with your family though, Kara.” Lena thought about how happy Kara always was before break, because both her foster parents had the whole week of Christmas off meaning they could spend as much time together as they liked. Lena had instantly felt somewhat guilty infringing on that time, even if it was without her knowledge.

Kara smiled at the concern in Lena’s tone. “It’s okay, Lee. I have all week. I just wanted to give you this.” Kara held out the object Lena had noticed in the security camera, and in person she realized it was a canvas. A canvas with two figures sitting on the beach, watching the sunset. A discarded football at their side. 

“This is…”

“Us. Yeah,” Kara’s blush got impossibly deeper as she watched Lena’s fingers delicately trace the shapes. “The day we met. I kinda fudged the sunset, but I mean the rest isn’t too bad, so like, well, I guess I just-“

Lena looked up from the painting. “You painted the day we met?”

Kara nodded.

“From… memory?” Lena looked back down at the canvas, seeing every detail from the way her hand barely brushed Kara’s to the seagull that had been hunting on the water. 

Kara nodded again, and Lena felt like she might cry. Instead she found herself wrapping her arms tightly around Kara’s neck. After a moment she felt Kara’s arms firmly wrapping around her waist in response. 

“Does this mean you like it?” Kara’s voice whispered in her ear.

Lena beamed against Kara’s shoulder where she had buried her face. “Yeah,” her voice was muffled, but she wasn’t ready to move from the embrace yet. “Yeah, I like it a lot.”

~~~

That was all they saw of each other over the two week break, but Lena put the painting up over her bed and would occasionally take it down to find some new detail Kara had somehow remembered. She was always delicate with it, not knowing enough about the materials Kara had used to know how sensitive it was. 

On the first day of school back from break, Lena was quick to look for Kara. She had no idea how to properly thank the blonde, but she had found a spray that could preserve flowers. Knowing her penchant for flower crowns, Lena had spent the rest of break weaving the perfect crown to present to her.

When she finally found Kara, she was quick to approach with an invitation on her tounge. Seeing who she was talking to stopped Lena in her tracks.

“C’mon, just one date, beautiful,” Mike was looking at Kara with imploring eyes, leaning over her and essentially trapping her against the wall.

“No thank you,” Kara’s tone was polite, but by her body language Lena could tell this wasn’t her first no.

“What? Did Luthor get into that pretty little head of yours?” Mike lightly grasped Kara’s chin with the hand that wasn’t holding his weight against the wall. “I promise I’m not as bad as she says.”

Even from her position several feet away she could see Kara squirming under Mike’s leer. When his thumb started playing with Kara’s lips is where Lena drew the line.

She was at their side before she could think twice, using Mike’s shoulder to slam him into the wall and away from Kara. Her eyes were flaming, but everything else about her was perfectly controlled.

“I heard a pretty clear no, Mike.” Lena’s voice was low and dangerous, daring the boy in front of her to fight back.

He took the bait. “I don’t think this conversation involved you, Luthor.”

“I don’t think you know who you’re challenging, Daxum,” Lena countered. She pressed his shoulder harder into the wall. “Do you want a reminder?”

Lena felt a warm hand on the wrist at her side. “Lee, you don’t have to do anything.” Kara’s voice was so small, so timid. It lit a whole new fire in Lena’s eyes knowing Mike’s advances where what put her in this state.

Lena looked over her shoulder, eyes softening at the fear and worry in Kara’s face. “I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do.” The statement was simple, but Kara nodded. She reached out her hand for Lena to take, and with one last push against Mike’s shoulder she let Kara lead her away.

Kara led them to Lena’s first period, where she gave Lena’s hand one last squeeze before dropping it. “Are you okay?” Kara asked.

Lena snorted at the question. “I should be asking you that.”

Kara gave the small smile Lena had only ever seen directed at her. “You’re the one who almost got into a fist fight.”

Lena locked eyes with Kara, gaze firm yet gentle. “You know I would have right? I would’ve taken him down in a second if you asked me to.”

Kara nodded, hesitating for a moment before pulling Lena in for a hug. They separated as the warning bell rang, at which point Kara offered a warm smile.

Lena’s eyes widened, “oh god, I was looking for you so I could ask you if you wanted to hang out after school! I almost forgot!”

Kara was taken aback. Lena was asking her to hang out? Blinking away the surprise, Kara suddenly looked sad. “I would love to, but I don’t have a ride.”

Lena thought for a moment before offering, “I could drive you. I fixed up a bike over break.”

Kara’s eyebrows furrowed into her signature crinkle. “Bicycles can’t usually fit two people.”

Lena laughed at that, a full hearted laugh she rarely let out. “I mean a motorcycle, Darling.”

Kara’s eyes widened briefly at the endearing term Lena wasn’t even aware of using, and she blushed. “Oh, yeah, then uh sure. If you have an extra helmet, that’d be- yeah.”

Lena smiled at Kara’s awkwardness, but before she could respond the final bell was ringing and Kara had to sprint to class.

~~~

Lena had run home on lunch to get Kara one of her spare helmets and jackets, so obviously she was prepared for the girl to be shrugging on a leather jacket. But God she was not prepared for the reality the slightest.

She presented Kara with the jacket first, and she put it on without hesitation. Lena felt like she was in a movie as she watched the blonde shrug to adjust the jacket, seemingly in slow motion. Kara had a bit more bulk than Lena, and riding jackets were supposed to be tight to begin with, but the way Kara’s biceps that Lena wasn’t aware she had flexed against the leather made her brain stumble.

Once she had somewhat recovered, she handed Kara her helmet and swung onto the bike. She thought the hard part was looking at Kara in leather, but when she felt the girl delicately slide onto the seat behind her, when she felt the firm but soft arms snake around her waist… if she hadn’t been sitting her knees would’ve buckled.

The ride itself was also distracting. Apparently Kara Danvers was a fan of motorcycles, screaming at Lena to go faster and even putting her hands above her head at one point. Lena just laughed to herself, seeing the reflection of her own broad smile in her visor and briefly wondering when the last time her smile was that big was.

~~~

After 15 minutes of Kara’s shouting and laughing over the roar of the wind they pulled up in front of the Luthor estate. Before Lena could even register that she wasn’t going into the main garage she was parked in front of the guest house. In front of  _ her  _ house.

Kara swung off the bike, whipping off her helmet with a huge grin. “That was  _ amazing  _ Lena!” Her voice was breathless and her smile made Lena’s twice as bright.

Still distracted by Kara’s excitement, she didn’t realize where she was going until she was putting the key into the door and froze.

“Why are we over here? Didn’t you say this is like a guest house or something?” Kara also seemed to finally catch on to where they were.

Lena didn’t know a way out of this. The door was already half open, and Kara was peering inside. “This place is so much homier than the main house!” Kara glanced between Lena and the sliver of an entrance she could see. “No offense to the main house, it’s super impressive. But this is just…” 

“Yeah, I know,” Lena looked down at her hand on the door handle. She could easily pull it closed, come up with some excuse for opening the wrong door. Something about Kara’s voice made her let go of it with a slight push, letting the door swing fully open. 

Kara took the invitation, stepping into the house and looking around. She turned to Lena, confusion clear on her face. “This place is so much more… you.”

Lena smiled slightly at that. “Yeah, probably cuz this is the place I actually live in.”

That got the crinkle to make an appearance, along with a thoughtful frown. “But you’re always in the main house when I come over.”

Lena nodded, as if it was a question rather than a fact. “Yeah, I am. I make sure I’m over there when you’re coming.”

Kara was silent for a moment, the crease in her brow getting deeper. Eventually giving up trying to figure it out, she asked, “why?”

Lena looked down, fidgeting with her fingers. “Well, I guess I’ve never let anyone on the estate before.”

Kara’s face was suddenly full of understanding. She gave a small smirk, “was Lena Luthor… nervous?”

Lens rolled her eyes, but didn’t deny it. Kara’s smirk grew into a soft smile, looking at Lena with appreciation shining in her eyes. “Thank you for letting me in here.”

The earnest of the statement made Lena’s checks flush, and she looked back down to hide it. “Uh, yeah. I… I trust you.” Lena looked back up to say those words, locking eyes with Kara and trying to portray how much they meant. The blonde seemed to get it, her eyes twinkling with a type of happiness that Lena couldn’t quite place. She couldn’t help but wonder if it was the same kind of odd happiness she felt.

Lena snapped herself out of her revive, remembering why she invited Kara to the estate in the first place. “C’mon, I made you something.”

Leading the way further into the house, Lena stopped just far enough from her bedroom for Kara not to be able to see inside. Kara seemed to get the reason for the sudden stop, glancing between Lena and the only room left before the end of the hall before asking if she could use the restroom.

Lena smiled slightly, letting out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “Yeah, two doors back. Wanna meet in the living room?”

Kara nodded her agreement, backtracking to the bathroom and forcing herself to actually stay in there for a bit in an attempt to respect the privacy that Lena so clearly valued. The blonde knew that just being on the estate was a rare privilege, let alone on a semi regular basis or in spaces that are actually  _ Lena. _ She would honor the trust Lena was giving her, taking the pieces as they slowly trickled through. She would give Lena her time.

When she made her way to the living room to see the girl in question shyly holding out a preserved flower crown, Kara decided she would give Lena all of the time she possibly could.

~~~

After Lena had stumbled into letting Kara in her house, that became their study spot. Kara was honored to be allowed into Lena’s home, and Lena was trying to understand the feeling she got when she saw Kara, bleary eyed from hours of studying, standing in her kitchen in search of the trail mix Lena always kept stocked for her.

Lena was experiencing said feeling sitting at her kitchen island. The pair was going over the notes for a science test Kara was beyond stressed about when Lena had finally convinced her to stop for a snack. Apparently the theoretical physics unit wasn’t something the blonde was remotely confident in, and she had been asking Lena to go over it with her almost every day after school since the unit started a month ago. Now the unit text was coming up, and Kara was cramming even harder - hard enough that it had been four hours and Kara hadn’t eaten a thing.

Lena watched Kara munch on a handful of her favorite mix, raising an eyebrow in a pointed question. Kara had the decency to look sheepish before she got herself a glass of water too - Lena always said she didn’t drink enough. Satisfied, Lena offered a warm smile that Kara didn’t hesitate to return, albeit with a much more tired underline. Lena stood from her stool, walking around the island to get a better look at Kara. The bags under the taller girl’s eyes were obvious, and her expressions were all exhausted.

“Darling, how much sleep did you get last night?” Lena was still unaware she used the affectionate tittle for Kara, only using it when entirely in her bubble.

Kara gave Lena a sheepish look, already asking for forgiveness before she even answered. “Maybe like two?”

Lena’s eyes widened. “Kara! I sent you home with time to get at least eight!”

Kara’s hands shot up in self defense, “I was studying!”

“You promised you would sleep!”

“And I did! I got two hours!”

Lena took a deep breath, looking at Kara with concern etched deeply in the lines of her face.“You need sleep.”

Kara sighed in defeat. “I know.”

It was only seven, and Lena knew if she took Kara home now she wouldn’t sleep. Instead she just nodded, walking back to the living room where they were studying. Lena settled in on the couch, suprised when Kara sits down next to her. They study side by side, with Kara slowly drifting closer to Lena in her tired state. Lena let her, even raising an arm for her to slide under. By the time the blonde had inventably fallen asleep it was with one of Lena’s arms draped across her body while her other hand scratched her neck and to the sound of Lena softly reading over notes.

Once she realized Kara was out, Lena let herself enjoy it for a moment. As soon as she had started cuddling closer Lena’s heart had started beating eradicatly, and by the time they were fully entangled Lena was sure Kara could hear it pounding in her chest. She let herself look down at the sleeping girl for a moment, finding her heart rate slowing at the sight of the peacefull view. Once she realized she had been starting for probably far longer than acceptable, Lena gently shifted Kara’s head so she could stand. 

Glancing around to find Kara’s phone, she gently placed the blonde’s thumb on the home button to unlock it and text Eliza about the situation - she wanted to make sure Kara’s family was okay with her staying the night. After a polite response from Eliza, thanking Lena for taking care of her daughter, Lena locked the phone and set it on the coffee table. Careful not to wake Kara, the young Luthor picked her up and carried her to her room. Kara wasn’t exactly light, but she managed to make it without waking her. There was another bed that Lena planned to make use of once she had taken care of Kara, but she knew her room was closer to an area Kara was familiar with and the bed was far more comfortable.

As she stood back up after pulling the blankets over Kara, a warm hand gently grabbed her wrist. Looking down into half shut eyes barely visible over the covers Kara had pulled up past her chin, Lena smiled. “Do you need something?”

Kara looked at her for a moment, trying to make a decision in her barely conscious mind. After a moment, she gave a small nod. “Can… can you stay?”

Lena was caught off guard by the question, but she couldn’t say no to that sweet groggy voice. “Of course, Darling.” Lena moves to grab some spare blankets and make a bed on the floor, but Kara protests.

“No, sleep up here, with me.”

Lena hesitated, her stomach flipping at the idea. But she really didn’t have it in her to say no to Kara, especially not in this adorable state. After a moment's hesitation, she approached the bed and slid under the covers Kara was holding up for her. The blonde hummed happily as Lena settled in, and Lena found herself on her back with Kara’s head on her chest. She expected it to make her heart go wild, but the warm body pressed into her side made her feel calm, safe. It made her feel right. Lena closed her eyes, finding herself thinking the thing she had been saying far too often since Kara walked into her life: this is not how this was supposed to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo this one took a second longer than usual, but I’m still on a roll I swear! Next chapter will be a story over their summer break, & then we’ll be onto junior year & I actually have plans for that one! I’m excited personally. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The summer before junior year & junior year got combined into one big chapter cuz I couldn’t make either of them quite long enough to stand alone. There’s some big ol’ steps & the hint of a plot!

Lena hadn’t been able to go a week without seeing the blonde that had been wedging her way into her life over the past two years. Lena was going to be 16 soon, and by some miracle Wess has been sent to teach her to drive over summer break. Driving a car was very different from a motorcycle, but Lena wasn’t throwing herself into learning like she usually did.

“Would you like to go driving today Miss?” Wess asked as she emerged from her room in search of food.

Lena thought for a moment. Maybe if they went into town, she would run into Kara. Plus she was out of milk. “Any chance we can drive into town?”

Wess smiled, happy for any chance to get the girl he thought of as something of a daughter back to herself. Once she had her breakfast Lena slipped on her shoes and grabbed her bag while Wess went to pull the car out into the driveway. The drive into town went smoothly - the roads in Midvale are simple, and Lena was always a quick learner regardless of distractions. She got her milk, as well as stopping for some of Kara’s favorite chocolate bars. She didn’t know when she started buying them, but at some point she picked up a handful every time she was in town. 

Lena walked up to the checkout, too focused on subtly glancing around the store in hopes of spotting Kara to pay attention to who the clerk was.

“Lee!” The happy voice got her attention, and Lena’s head snapped around to see the very blonde she had been looking for. 

Kara was standing behind the counter, a red vest and a nametag marking her as an employe of the store. From Lena’s angle, Kara looked like she was glowing thanks to the window behind her. Her hair was down, catching the sun and falling waves around her shoulders. Nothing about an average person in a ill-fitting clerk uniform should make Lena’s mind blank, her heart skip a beat, and it suddenly be hard to breathe but then again it was Kara Danvers.

“Kara,” she finally forces out in a breath, mentally berating herself for the dopey smile on her face. 

Kara starts scanning the items, pausing briefly once she realized the chocolates were… “These are my favorites.”

Lena blushed at that, glancing down in an attempt to hide it. “Uh, yeah, I’ve been… it's a habit to get them at this point.”

If she hadn’t been so busy hiding her blush, she would have noticed Kara sporting one of her own as she answered. “Oh, that’s- that’s really sweet.” After a moment of silence as Kara finished bagging Lena’s few groceries, she awkwardly broached a topic that had been bouncing around her head since school had ended a week ago. “Uhm, so, you… you know how I used to always come over on Fridays? Like, during the school year?”

Lena tilted her head, not understanding where Kara was going with this, but deciding to follow along as best she could. “Yeah? And we’d study and stuff.”

Kara nodded, looking down to fidget with her fingers. “So, I was wondering, if, well if like doing that… is still like an option? I mean, not studying, because it’s summer and studying in summer is like- like against everything, but the me coming over part I mean. Or just the us being together part- n-not  _ being  _ together, I didn’t- I didn’t mean that, but like, being in the same space, and- and talking and stuff- unless you-”

Lena couldn’t hold back a chuckle as she finally caught on to what Kara was asking. “You want to come over?”    
Grateful for the interruption, Kara nodded and blushed. She didn’t trust herself to answer without entering another ramble.

Lena smiled, picking up the pen used for signing checks and flipping over her receipt. She quickly scrawled out her phone number in sharp but decent handwriting and passed it to Kara. “Let me know when you want to meet up.”

Wess, who had gone to wait by the door while Lena checked out, gave her a cheeky smile on the way out. “Was that the same girl who hit you with a football two years ago?”

Lena internally gronned, wishing that Wess could forget something for once. “Yes, Wess.”

“The same girl you ended up spending hours talking to on the beach?”

“Yes, Wess.”

“Any chance she is also the friend who made you the painting hanging over your bed?”

Lena shot him a deadly glare, her stone cold stare being the only reason anyone would ever believe her to be a Luthor. Wess had practically raised the girl, however, and was unphased. None of Lena’s threats or stares scared him, and they both knew it.

~~~

A few hours after returning home, Lena got a text. She groaned - she had been in a good mood since running into Kara, but of course her mother had to text her and ruin it. After setting down her book and blindly feeling for the phone set on her bedside, Lena was surprised to find the text was from an unknown number. She hesitantly unlocked her phone to read the message.

**Unknown, 12:34:** Hey, Lee! It’s Kara, you gave me your number earlier today at the store and I’m off my shift so I figured I’d text you so you’d have my number too!

Lena smiled, beyond relieved to see it was sunshine personified rather than her mother. Lena was quick to add Kara’s contact, choosing one of the few photos on her phone as a contact photo - a picture of Kara sprawled on her floor with messy hair, an icecream spoon in her mouth, and a happy twinkle in her eye. Swiping back to the chat and chewing on her nail as she thought, Lena eventually typed a response. 

**Lena, 12:35:** Hey! How was work?

**Kara, 12:35:** Hectic. Too much standing. I need to sit for like ever. Maybe find a soft surface to melt into.

Lena chuckled at that, smiling as she typed out her response without a second thought.

**Lena, 12:36:** Wanna come over?

**Lena, 12:36:** If I’m remembering correctly, my couch is “a gift from the heavens”, is it not?

The bubbles indicating typing appeared and disappeared a few times, and Lena was starting to worry she had said the wrong thing when a text finally came through.

**Kara, 12:37:** Siri says I’m 10 minutes away, is that okay?

Lena’s smile grows impossibly bigger.

**Lena, 12:37:** See you in 10, sunshine.

She locks her phone and throws it to the side before she can read Kara’s response to the title. 

Ten minutes later there was a knock on her door, and before she could get up she heard Wess’s voice.

“I’m sorry, who are you?” The protective edge in his tone made Lena smile briefly before she remembered who it was directed at and frowned. She hadn’t told Wess Kara was coming had she?

“Uhm, I’m Kara Danvers. I’m here to see Lena?”

“I’m afraid you’re at the wrong house then. The Luthors live-“

“It’s okay, Wess,” Lena had made her way out to the entryway to find a confused Kara and a protective Wess. “Kara’s welcome here.”

“Hey Lee!” Kara waved and beamed at Lena before stepping past Wess to embrace the slightly shorter girl. Lena had grown to expect how tactile Kara was, but she was still surprised every time she found herself wrapped in gentle arms. 

“Hey,” Lena returned the greeting, and returned the hug as best as she could with Kara’s arms holding hers down.

That was enough for Kara, who pulled back and shot Lena another huge smile. They just stared at each other for a moment before Wess cleared his throat. “Would you like me to set a room, Miss?”

Lena shook her head, turning her attention to Wess. “No, it’s okay. We’ll probably just hang out around the estate. Thank you, Wess.” When she caught his doubtful glances at Kara, she added, “She’s a friend, Wess. It’s okay.”

He seemed to accept that, albeit still hesitant - not that Lena could blame him. She didn’t have friends, and if anyone besides Kara had stepped on the estate she would be panicking. The genuine smile on her face was enough to show Wess that this girl was the exception to many of Lena’s rules. He retreated to the room in the house he had claimed as his with a reminder that he was a simple shout away if they needed anything.

“He’s new,” Kara commented once he was gone.

Lena smiled, answering as she led Kara into the kitchen. “Not exactly. He would stay here with me back when I only lived here for school. Wess has been my somewhat self-assigned caretaker since I came to live with the Luthors.”

Kara hummed at that, opening the cabinet she knew Lena kept her trail mix in. “Explains why he’s so protective of you.”

Lena hopped onto the counter as she watched Kara move around the kitchen. “Yeah, I guess so,” she spoke softly and her small smile was even softer. Kara paused for a moment, studying Lena’s face. When she noticed, the brunette laughed and moved her face. “What’s got you staring so intensely?”

Kara shrugged, pouring her trail mix into a bowl and sitting on the island across from Lena. “I hadn’t seen that smile before. I wanted to learn it.”

That made Lena blush and she looked down, unsure what to make of the statement. She did know it made her stomach do flips knowing Kara wanted to learn something as minor as one of her rare smiles. 

They chatted aimlessly while Kara finished her snack, occasionally with one of them trying to throw a nut or M&M into the other’s mouth. Kara quickly rinsed her bowl and put it back in the cabinet, and something about the image of Kara moving comfortably around her kitchen put a delicate, almost dreamy smile on her face.

“Hey, Lee?” Kara paused, waiting for Lena’s humm of acknowledgement before turning around and asking her question. “How come I haven’t been in your room?”

Lena tilted her head. “What do you mean? That time you fell asleep I-“

“Well, yeah, but like I was asleep, ya know? And then, the next morning, well- I wasn’t really aware of what was around me cuz I was… I was tired I guess.” Something about the statement made Kara blush and halt what Lena was sure could easily become a full fledged ramble.

“Are you asking to see my bedroom, Kara?” Lena spoke with a suggestive lilt to her words, lowering her head so she could look up at Kara through her eyelashes with a smirk.

The blonde’s light blush turned almost crimson as she backtracked. “N-no! I mean, not- not like that! I don’t- are you- no, no, I just- I just meant like- well, yeah, I wanna see your room, b-but not like  _ that.  _ I didn’t- I didn’t mean-“

“I know what you meant, Darling,” Lena said with a teasing smile as she slid off the counter and offered Kara her hand.

Kara’s blush somehow got even deeper, but she took Lena’s hand nonetheless and let the brunette lead her down the hallways. Lena stopped outside a closed door, dropping Kara’s hand and stepping to the side. Taking the hint, Kara opened the door and, after glancing at Lena for permission, stepped into the room.

She cast her gaze around the room, registering the black wood of the desk and bed frame, the white sheets and couch, and the planks screwed into the far wall covered with books and plants. Despite it seeming like a showroom at first glance, smaller things like the clearly homemade pots for each of the flowering succulents and the books on every surface made it distinctly Lena. Then she noticed the only thing hanging in the room - her painting.

Kara walked up to the foot of Lena’s bed, eyes stuck on the canvas centered with the headboard. She turned to face the other girl who was leaning in the doorway and watching Kara learn her room with hesitance. 

“You… you hung it.” Kara’s voice was quiet, full of an emotion that Lena couldn’t quite recognize but knew was big.

“Uhm, yeah,” Lena pushed herself off the doorframe, walking to stand next to Kara and look at the piece. “I did. Is…” a hesitant glance at the blonde who’s emotions where clear on her face but weren’t identifiable to Lena, “Is that okay?”

Kara turned her head to meet Lena’s eyes, and  _ oh.  _ Lena knew what it was now. Kara’s eyes held that same feeling her eyes had in a picture that Winn had taken of them one day at lunch. Lena had been watching Kara, who had her head thrown back in laughter. Kara’s eyes shone with that same gentle yet intense affection Lena’s had.

“It’s more than okay,” Kara’s voice was airy, and Lena wondered if that’s what she sounded like when Kara did something particularly Kara-like and Lena was overwhelmed with that feeling.

Lena knew she was one thing shy of that feeling now - she almost always was when Kara was around. Suddenly Kara’s arms were wrapped tightly around her and oh, there it was. That warm, soft, all-consuming feeling. That feeling that she could  _ definitely  _ get used to.

~~~

After that first day they had spent every day of their summer break together, and Lena was going to pick Kara up on the motorcycle for their first day of school. Since the first ride last year Lena had gotten better at ignoring the way Kara would be pressed into her back, or the thrill that Kara’s shouts of delight gave her. 

This time though, this time felt like that first one all over again. Lena had ordered Kara her own jacket for her last birthday, but it had only come recently due to some shopping complications. Seeing the blonde walk up to her in tight black jeans, a white tank top, and a fitted leather jacket had Lena’s heart stopped.

It must’ve shown on her face, because Kara gave her a curious look. “You okay, Lee?”

Lena shook herself out of her thoughts enough to give Kara a warm smile and a quick hug. “Of course, Darling.”

Lena had finally realized she used the name for Kara last summer, and seeing the deep blush it brought on was enough for her to do it consciously now. Sure enough, Kara gave a lopsided smile and reached for her helmet to hide her blush. Lena took great pride in knowing she was the cause of it.

Once they got to school, Lena offered to walk Kara to her first period. The blonde happily accepted, and they slowly wove their way through the crowded halls. In the past Lena’s heart would have stuttered at the way Kara tightly wrapped their hands together to avoid losing her in the masses. Now, it just felt right to reach out for the warm grip. When she realized it probably meant she was comfortable with Kara, she felt a dopey smile forming on her face. 

They stopped to say hi to friends - mainly Kara’s friends that Lena knew from the rare occasion that Kara would get her to eat lunch with them. Winn had offered Kara a raised eyebrow and pointed look when he saw their clasped hands that Lena couldn’t decipher. She would’ve just ignored it if Kara’s hold on her hand hadn’t tightened alongside with her face.

“You okay?” Lena whispered, leaning into Kara so only she could hear.

The girl blushed at the feeling of Lena’s breath on her neck, offering a tight smile that only partly alleviated Lena’s concern. By the time they made it to Kara’s first period it was to the sound of the warning bell, causing Lena’s eyes to widen as she realized her class was on the opposite end of the school.

“I’ll meet you at the bike after school,” Lena said quickly, leaning in to press a quick kiss to Kara’s cheek before dashing off towards her class. 

As her brain caught up with her actions she cursed herself, not having the time to figure out why she’d done something so stupid or to go back and try to fix it. If she had, she may have seen the blush on Kara’s face or the wonder in her eyes as she gently touched the spot Lena had kissed.

~~~

Kara had convinced Lena to eat lunch with her and her friends, and despite always feeling like she was intruding on the group she found herself laughing genuinely at something Winn had said. She looked to Kara, filled with warmth at the bright twinkle in the blue eyes as she threw her head back with the force of her laugh. Lena found her eyes tracing the column of her neck, memorizing the way her hand flew to hover just below her mouth while the other held her stomach. She was so caught up in all things Kara she didn’t notice him until Mike was wrapping his arms around her from behind.

“Can we talk, Luthor?” His voice was low, threatening to anyone who didn’t know better. Lena’s walls flew up fast enough for the change to be imperceptible to anyone but Kara, who felt Lena’s hand slack its hold on her own. 

“I’d rather not, Mike,” Lena looked straight ahead, keeping her voice as steady as she could.

“I think you’d actually prefer to hear me out on this one,” Mike’s whisper was close to her ear, his breath hot and suffocating against her face. Understanding his implications, Lena nodded.

“Sorry, I’ll catch you later, alright?” Lena said her goodbyes as she stood and gathered her things, pausing when she saw the crease in Kara’s brows. “I’ll be quick as I can, Darling.” The promise did little to ease the evident concern, but Kara still nodded and allowed Lena to plant a small kiss on her cheek before she followed Mike out of the cafeteria.

“Your mother has been in touch with mine,” Mike informed her once they were in a relatively private area of the building. “And it doesn’t benefit either of us.”

Lena rolled her eyes, “does it ever?”

Mike sighed in acknowledgement of the point. “Fair enough. This time ‘round Lillian’s on about you being gay.” Mike paused, letting the implication sink in. “Apparently bland ol’ Midvale isn’t teaching you enough of a lesson.”

Lena’s eyes widened, knowing exactly where this was going. “Mike, I swear to God whatever you told her-“

“Wowa, I slow down there Luthor!” Mike three his hands up in mock surrender, “I didn’t tell her anything! God knows what rat she’s stuck in town to keep tabs on you, but it’s not me.” Sensing that was enough to appease Lena, at least for now, he let his hands fall as he continued. “Trust me, us getting married to convince the press your straight isn’t something I’m too big on either.”

Lena’s jaw quite literally dropped. “No- she- that’s insane!” Lena ran a hand through her hair, unsure what she could even begin to do with or say to this information. In the end she settled on, “your mom agreed to that?”

Mike shrugged, clearly not too happy with the deal himself. “Apparently it’d be good PR if we combine the biggest names in the industry.”

Lena scoffed, leaning against the support beam behind her and crossing her arms as if her steadfast denial could somehow fix the issue. “I’m not marrying you.”

“You’re gonna have to find a way to straighten out then, before it’s not a choice.”

Lena watched Mike wall away, knowing he was right. How could she even convince the press she was straight? She had “dated” Jack Sphere for a year before being sent permanently to Midvale, and then several months after. What better proof was there than pictures of their one year anniversary dinner? 

She sat on the floor with a heavy sigh, whipping out her phone and pulling up Jack’s contact.

**Lena, 12:48:** Hey, Jack, can we talk later?

~~~

Lena was scooping them each heaping bowls of ice cream while Kara queued up some movie that she had been appalled Lena hadn’t seen when her phone buzzed with a text from Jack.

**Jack, 6:32:** I’m guessing your mother is at your neck again?

Lena sighed, seeing Jack’s pitying face as clearly as if he was in front of her.

**Lena, 6:32:** Yeah. 

**Jack, 6:33:** I’m not gonna be your beard forever.

Lena sighed again, knowing that Jack had developed feelings over their year and a half long relationship, and that it had hurt him every time she reminded him where they stood.

**Lena, 6:34:** I know, and I wouldn’t ask that of you. I just… she’ll make me marry Mike Daxum if I don’t convince the world I’m straight soon.

She watched the typing bubbles appear and disappear several times before they stayed gone and she locked her phone in defeat. She returned to the living room and handed Kara her bowl, not at all surprised to find the blonde on the floor leaning against the couch.

The scene made Lena comfortable, more comfortable than she could remember being in a long time- and that’s when she realized that Kara hadn’t taken a step since the beginning of summer. It was nearing winter break, and Kara hadn’t approached her with a shy proposition that would fill Lena with anxiety she’d push down to let Kara in that one step further. Lena couldn’t think of a next step for Kara to take. They were just about as close as they could get at this point, spending time together every day after school, texting constantly when they weren’t together, even having semi-frequent sleepovers. So why did Lena feel like she was still waiting for Kara to take one more step? Why did it feel like something was missing?

Kara’s hand on her knee snapped her from her thoughts, and she looked down to find blue eyes filled with worry. “What’re you thinking about up there?”

Lena smiled down at Kara, letting the warmth from the hand on her knee spread to the rest of her body and calm her like Kara’s touch always did. “Nothing important, Darling.”

Kara’s brows creeped into her signature crinkle, and she pushed herself up to sit next to Lena on the couch. She gently cupped Lena’s face, softly pushing until she was looking at her. “Would you tell me if it was?”

Lena nodded, too fixated with the earnest in Kara’s firm gaze to form a sound beyond a small “yeah.”

Kara moved her head down so she could see Lena’s eyes better through her falling hair, sipping away a stray strand. “Promise?”

“I- yeah. Yeah, I promise.” Lena found herself choking over the words, distracted by their position.

Kara’s face was close- really close. Like, the kind of close her face would be if she was going to- oh. That’s it. That’s what Lena wants Kara to do. Oh no. Oh this is  **_not_ ** how this was supposed to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okokokok hear me out, hear me out: I have no plan. Well, I have a plan, but it’s a lose plan. Hope y’all enjoyed the first while cuz semester 2 of junior year has a nice dash of angst comin. Also don’t hesitate to leave comments ik I don’t really respond but I swear I read them & they make my day I just suck at thank you’s.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Second semester of junior year, the plot thickens. A cameo from Veronica Sinclair, who ended up playing a much smaller role than I thought she would but helps Lena cement her feelings. Maybe she helps Kara with that too.

Winter break had passed much like the previous months, with them seeing each other nearly every day and texting constantly on the increasingly rare occasions they were apart. Lena found a rectangle wrapped in newspaper on her doorstep on Christmas day, the first day they hadn’t spent together in nearly a month, with a small note attached. Not needing to read the note to know who it was from, Lena picked it up and delicately carried it inside with a smile.

The note was in Kara’s fast and messy handwriting, reading “Lee, I hope this compliments the first as well as I hoped. Merry Christmas.” Lena quickly moved to unwrap the gift, not knowing what Kara was referencing until she saw the orange corner of a canvas. Even more excited now, she ripped the rest of the paper off to reveal a painting of her bedroom. It was bathed in the light of the setting sun, and her eyes instantly landed on the people on the bed - her and Kara. They were cuddled together with Lena’s laptop in front of them, and the setting sun could be seen out the large window on the far wall. It looked like a picture taken from the doorway, and after a moment she realized it was. Wess had taken it over summer break one evening, standing in her doorway for a beat before interrupting their comfortable moment to ask if they needed anything before he retired for the night. Kara must’ve gotten the picture somehow, and adapted the coloring slightly so it did, in fact, match the painting of their first day on the beach. 

A dopey grin spread across her face as she examined the painting, tracing it with as much reverence as she had the first. She thought about what she planed for a present for Kara - making all the blonde’s favorite foods, tracking down copies of all her favorite movies that she couldn’t find anywhere, and building a pillow fort in the living room. She knew it would put Kara over the moon, but the simple evening in she had planned for tomorrow felt silly compared to the gift in her hands. Pulling out her phone, she pulled up Kara’s contact. Kara’s eager face and excited smile filled her screen by the second ring.

_ “Hey, Lee! Did you see it? Do you like it? I hope you don’t mind I asked Wess if he had any pictures of us, he sent me that one, it was just perfect so I had to. I really hope it’s okay, I didn’t mean to step over any boundaries or anything-” _

Deciding to mess with the girl slightly, Lena tilted her head and put on a confused face. “What are you talking about? Did you send me something?”

Kara’s face fell, eyes going wide in horor.  _ “N-no! It was supposed to be a surprise, for when you got back from your walk, but you must’ve already been back- crud, I didn’t do anything, just forget I said anything, I’m sorry-” _

Interrupting before the blonde could spiral too far, Lena spoke with a laugh clear in her voice. “I’m messing with you, Kara. It’s beautiful.”

Kara’s shoulders visibly relaxed, along with her eyebrows which had climbed so far up her head Lena wondered if it was possible for eyebrows to meld with your hairline.  _ “Gosh, Lee! I thought I’d ruined the surprise!” _

Lena laughed properly this time, leaning forward and resting her elbows on the counter with her phone still heald in her outstretched hand. “I mean, I did almost step on it when I was coming in from my walk, so there’s that.” Kara’s face was once again filled with fear, and Lena let out another full chuckle. “Don’t worry, Darling, I managed to avoid it. I would be far more upset if I had ruined such an amazing piece, trust me.”

They chatted idly for a few more minutes, Lena repeatedly thanking Kara and praising her work. A banner altering her of a text from Jack Sphere ruined her happy feelings.

**Jack, 2:16:** The guest house is ready for you when shit hits the fan.

Her smile melted, and Kara didn’t miss the sudden lack of joy in her eyes. “ _What’s wrong?_ ”

Lena looked at Kara, studying her as best as she could through the small screen. After a moment she just shook her head, mumbling something about family troubles before plastering on a hopefully believable smile and changing the topic. She would deal with her impending doom later. For now, she just wanted to pretend she was a normal teenager who’s biggest problem is that she might be crushing on her best friend.

~~~

Sadly Lena couldn’t play pretend for long. A gossip column dug up some old pictures of her with Veronica Sinclair, resparking the debates over her sexuality not a month into the second semester. The piece had earned her a call from Lillian, who warned her of everything that Mike had - basically, if she didn’t turn the tides by the end of the year her mother would announce their engagement.

Lena spent long nights trying to concoct ways to convince the media she was straight, to the point where she would go days without sleeping. She couldn’t think of anything she hadn’t already tried, and on one such night after months of all-nighters she was sitting at her desk too frustrated to stop herself.

**Lena, 12:38am:** you still in town?

She didn’t have to wait long for a reply, the bubbles appearing after mere moments.

**Veronica, 12:39:** you still got your own place?

**Lena, 12:39:** Of course.

**Veronica, 12:40:** I’ll be there in an hour.

Lena threw her phone blindly onto her bed, hearing the soft thumps as it bounced to a stop. She turned in her chair, leaning back and closing her eyes. Had she really just done that? It was about as far from what she should be doing as she could get. Sure, Veronica was a master of discretion, but the media had its ways and now was not the time to be tempting them. 

Yet here she was, digging through her drawers for liningere to look nice for her booty call.

True to her word, Veronica was knocking on her door at 1:40 am on the dot. Lena opened it wide, and Veronica went straight for Lena’s bedroom. Thinking of the two paintings over her bed, Lena grabbed Veronica’s wrist and pulled her towards an extra bedroom.

“Hiding something?” Veronica asked, her voice low and sultry. Lena didn’t miss the distinct  _ lack  _ of heat in her core at the tone that used to make her drip.

“Always,” she replied simply. Veronica didn’t care - she had never been much more than a friends with benefits situation anyway.

Lena didn’t miss the lack of electricity when Veronica pressed their lips together, or the way her heartbeat stayed perfectly even when she was pushed back onto the bed. She didn’t miss how Veronica nipping at  _ that spot  _ on her neck barely earned a moan, or how Veronica’s practiced teasing didn’t make her squirm as much as it used to. She didn’t miss the way Veronica was doing everything perfectly and yet she still barely came, and neither did the girl between her legs.

“Who’s Kara?” Veronica asked as she crawled back up Lena’s body. At Lena’s confused look, Veronica explained, “You said her name when you came.”

Lena had missed that part. Her face fell, eyes widening at the implications. Veronica was the best she’d ever had, they’d spent years piecing together exactly how to bring one another to the highest heights they could. Yet during sex with her, she’d not only barely peaked, but also screamed her best friend’s name?

Seeing the fear in her eyes, Veronica rolled off to the side so Lena wouldn’t have to look at her as she answered. “You know I don’t care who you’re thinking about, that’s not how we work. I just wanna know how she’s better in the sack than me. Always looking for improvement.”

Lena, lying on her back with the covers lose around her body to keep her warm as the heat of sex faded, stared at the celling trying to find the words to answer Veronica’s question. Finally she just said, “we’ve never even kissed.”

Veronica hesitated at that, staring at Lena for a moment as the words registered. After they did, Veronica just shook her head and sighed in sympathy. “I hope you get the girl, Lena.”

A small, self deprecating smile pulled at Lena’s lips at that. “Like Lillian would allow that.”

Veronica didn’t respond to that - she knew enough about Lena’s relationship with her mother to know what she meant, and they weren’t anything more than old fuck buddies at this point. “Can I spend the night? Don’t wanna have to ride back in the dark.”

Lena nodded, giving a quiet “always”, still too wrapped up in her thoughts to say much more. They both rolled over so their backs were facing each other and drifted off into sleep, Veronica doing so much quicker than Lena.

~~~

The next morning Lena woke up to Kara calling her name. Still half asleep and not fully aware of who was in bed next to her, Lena called out a “in here” to guide her friend. Veronica groaned next to her, rolling her head into the pillow in an attempt to muffle their shouts.

When Kara appeared in the doorway, it took a moment for Lena to realize why her face had turned beat red.

“Oh- I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were- I’m so sorry, gosh, just, crud, I’m sorry, I’m just- we were gonna go into town, I figured I could let myself in like usual, I’m so sorry, I didn’t know-“

“Goddamnit Luthor, why would you make plans before noon?” Veronica’s voice, rough with sleep, interrupted Kara’s embarrassed ramble.

“Not everyone has the sleep cycle of a cat, V,” Lena shot back, rubbing the last bits of sleep out of her eyes, sitting up and bringing the sheets with her to keep her chest covered - not that she cared much, but considering how extremely flustered Kara was already, she was sure anything more would give the girl a heart attack.

Still blushing deeper than Lena had ever seen, something dark also flashed through Kara’s eyes at the familiarity the two women spoke with. If Lena was more conscious she would have thought about it, but Kara was talking again before the fog that was her brain could think twice. 

“I- I’m just gonna- I’ll be in the living room.” Kara tripped over her feet as she backed away from the room, barely getting the full sentence out before dashing around the corner.

Veronica rolled over to look up at Lena, a knowing smirk on her face. “ _ That’s  _ the girl you like?”

Lena just rolled her eyes at the devious glint in brown eyes, throwing off the covers to collect her clothes and make her way to her own room. She could feel Veronica’s eyes following her and while the heat of the gaze would have, once upon a time, had her right back in bed, Lena barely spared it a thought. On her way out the door she heard Veronica mumble something about her having it bad, but Lena didn’t care enough to dispute the statement. At this point, she wasn’t even sure she could.

A few moments later she strolled into the living room dressed in a pair of black ripped skinny jeans and a hooded red flannel open to show a fitted white t-shirt. The way Kara’s eyes caught on every part of her made Lena feel special, made her feel powerful. Kara’s gaze made her feel like she was on top of the world, and if it wasn’t for the comfortable warmth it filled her with Lena might’ve questioned if that gaze was friendly or not.

“Ready to go?” Lena asked with a cheery smile.

Kara’s brow furrowed. “What about…”

“Veronica? She knows the way out. I don’t think she’d ever forgive me if I called her over at 1am and made her leave before 11 at least.”

Lena chuckled slightly at her own joke, just barely catching the way Kara’s eyes darkened and her crinkle intensified. Taking it to mean something it didn’t, Lena offered reassurance.

“She knows where the spare key is, she can lock up and everything when she leaves. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was still here when we got back though.”

Lena had turned to grab her bag as she spoke, so she missed the way Kara’s face grew even darker.

~~~

Despite Veronica’s mastery of discretion, her mother was forwarding her a news article the following evening, with a headline reading “Lena Luthor, One For Late Night Mistresses?”

Not even bothering reading the article, Lena started to type a reply. Before she could hit send, another text was coming in from Lillian.

**Lillian, 5:43:** I think you’re out of chances, Lena.

“Shit…” Lena’s curse was barely a breath, and the gentle thud of her head leaning back into the wall behind her caused a bigger stir in the air. There was only a month left in the school year, so even if she had a plan she wouldn’t have time to implement it. Pulling up Jack’s contact, she sent a text.

**Lena, 5:47:** can I be there in a month?

**Jack, 5:47:** you can come whenever you’re ready.

Leaning her head back against the wall, Lena closed her eyes and sighed. She would finish the school year. She would finish the school year, and then she would leave the estate. She would move back to Metropolis to live with Jack and his family, and she would file the paperwork to make herself fully independent of the Luthor name. It would be simple enough, as Lillian had never fully adopted her and her father was long dead. She would have to tell Kara she was leaving, she would have to explain why. But first, she would finish the school year. She still had a month to pretend everything was okay, and god dammit she was going to use it.

~~~

Kara had noticed the change in Lena over the past few weeks, with the brunette FaceTiming her more and agreeing to go to the beach without any hesitation. It was clear she was trying to spend more time with Kara, and while it made her happy to see Lena pushing for things Kara usually was the one to request, the sudden change had her worried.

It was finals week, and they were constantly together, though they were actually studying which they rarely did since the beginning of Sophomore year. They also were sending out college applications, writing cover letters, and basically fully caught up in the hectic whirlwind that was late Junior year.

Kara was glancing over one of Lena’s applications when her eyes caught on what school she went to. It said Midvale High for Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior year, obviously, but when asked where she planned to be enrolled for her senior year… 

“Are you moving back to Metropolis?” Kara blurted.

Lena’s head shot up, brow furrowing before she saw what document Kara was reading. She looked down with a sigh - there was no postponing the inevitable any further. “Uh, yeah. I’ll be leaving after school lets out.”

Kara’s eyebrows shot up - sure the document in front of her said a prestigious highschool in Metropolis that Lena had told her about before when she was half asleep and talked about what she thought her highschool life would look like, but Kara hadn’t thought Lena would say yes. “That’s… next week.”

Lena nodded. “Yeah.”

Realizing she wasn’t going to get any new information out of Lena without directly asking for it, Kara started prying. “Did your mother decide to have you move back?”

Lena looked down at her hands fidgeting in her lap, not wanting to see Kara’s face when she answered. “No, it was my choice.”

“Oh.” Kara’s voice was small, too small for it to have any business hurting Lena as much as it did. “I… why?”

“I’m cutting myself off from the Luthor family,” Lena explained, quickly glancing at Kara’s face to see how she reacted. For once Lena couldn’t read the expression there.

“Where will you be staying?”

“With an old friend of mine, Jack Sphere.”

Kara nodded, sitting back and looking at Lena’s hunched posture. She looked small, as if she was afraid of what Kara would say. “I… okay. Will we still be… friends?”

Something about the way Kara said the word made Lena die a little on the inside, but she pushed the feeling down to give Kara a soft smile and slight nod. “Of course, Darling.”

The taller girl returned the nod, looking down at her notes and pretending she was reading them. Lena knew better though - Kara’s signature crinkle was in place, and paired with her frown and rapid blinking it was obvious to Lena something was still bothering her. 

“I mean it, Kara.” Lena’s gentle hand on her shoulder was enough to get Kara to look at her, blue eyes big and fragile. “I will always be your friend, no matter what.”

Lena wanted to say more, wanted to make it clear that being Kara’s friend wasn’t exactly what she wanted. She wanted to tell Kara that she found herself wanting more, but that she would always be her friend first. Maybe telling Kara her feelings would drive home for the blonde just how highly Lena valued her and her friendship. But Lena held her tongue, not wanting to force her feelings onto an already vulnerable woman.

Kara gave a weak but genuine smile, placing her hand over Lena’s where it rested on her shoulder. “I know. I love you for it.”

Lena’s heart clenched painfully at the words. Kara loved her. Kara loved her, but Kara wasn’t  _ in  _ love with her. She had to remind herself of the fact before she repeated the sentiment with too much feeling for a pair of best friends. “I love you for a lot of reasons.”

And shit, the softness in Kara’s eyes almost had her leaning in. The warmth of Kara’s hand on hers almost had her saying more. The welcoming smile playing at even more welcoming lips almost had her licking her own. But she stopped herself. She leaned away from Kara. She removed her hand from her shoulder. She bit the inside of her cheek. She stopped herself, because she was leaving and Kara didn’t feel that way about her and goddammit this is not how this was supposed to go at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayeo, we’re closing in on the end folks! This is far and away the biggest story I’ve ever written so thank you for supporting me through it. Senior year will be angsty, especially semester one. Stick it out for me though, I promise you’ll get a happy ending.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena’s a pinning mess over in Metropolis, but what’s new.

Lena had moved in with Jack and his family the day after school let out, as planned. Kara had helped her pack, and on her way out the door Lena handed Kara her keys - the keys to the guest house, the main house, her bike… the ring had a key to everything save for the car Lena had been fixing up as she would be driving the 1973 rolls royce to Metropolis with her. Kara hadn’t known what to say, so she just hugged the slightly shorter woman even tighter.

Standing in her practically empty room, Lena had stared at the only things she had ever hung on the walls - Kara’s paintings. They complimented each other well, the first being two silhouettes barely touching, an awkward first encounter underlined with the comfort Lena somehow always felt around Kara, followed by two detailed bodies pressed together in firm familiarity and trust. Lena looked at them for a long moment, wondering if they meant as much to Kara as they did to her. Had Kara meant for the pieces to make Lena’s heart clench the way they did? Did Kara mean for them to stir a deep sense of everything being  _ right _ like they did? Did Kara feel any of the things Lena herself felt when looking at them?

Shaking herself from her thoughts, Lena crawled up the bed to retrieve the canvases from the wall, cradling them as if they were the most valuable thing in the world. To Lena, they probably were. She delicately wrapped them in packing paper, placing them on the top of a small box she would put in the passenger's seat. It felt right to keep the paintings close to her. 

She had given Kara one last hug with a promise to try and visit over winter break. She had climbed into the car she had spent almost all of the last three years fixing up, the engine revving as she turned the key. She had glanced over at Kara outside her window, whose arms were wrapped around herself almost like a guard. She had looked down the driveway, swallowing down the words she desperately wanted to shout, and gently pressed the gas. She had glanced back at Kara once, through the rear view mirror as she drove away. The blonde’s figure was blurry at the head of the driveway, and with a sigh Lena pulled out into the road and towards the highway.

~~~

Lena’s phone was blaring in her ear from it’s spot under her pillow where she had shoved it in hopes of muffling the insistent alarm. She had hit snooze three times already, and if she didn’t get up soon she would be stuck with a bowl of cereal for breakfast eaten in the car on the way to school in hopes of hiding the fact she didn’t have time to brush her teeth. But she really,  _ really  _ didn’t want to get up.

She didn’t want to go to school without stopping by the Danvers’ house. She didn’t want to walk to her first period without dropping Kara off at her’s. She didn’t want to sit alone in the library at lunch without Kara first offering her a seat with the blonde’s friends. She didn’t want to go home without Kara in the passenger’s seat. She didn’t want to have to be without Kara.

A knock on Lena’s door reminded her of something else - her maid. Jack’s mother had insisted that Lena have one of their staff to help her in the guest house, and despite Lena’s many protests a young maid named Hanna had been given the task. 

“Come in,” Lena called, rolling off of her pillow to retrieve the phone underneath and silence the alarm.

“Good morning, Miss,” Hanna opened the door slowly, poking her head into the room to ensure Lena was okay with her entering fully before she did so. “I’m making your breakfast, do you have any requests?”

Lena sat up, her sheets falling to reveal a baggy tank top she had stolen from Kara some time in their early Junior year. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she answered the question with a tired smile. “You don’t have to do that, Hanna. I was just planning on a quick bowl of cereal or something.”   
“How about eggs and toast?” Hanna offered, having picked up rather quickly on Lena’s eating habits. “It’ll be easy on your stomach first thing in the morning, and I can cut up some strawberries for you too.”

Lena’s smile turned grateful and she nodded her agreement. “That sounds lovely, thank you Hanna.”

The young maid, maybe 25, returned the smile brightly before leaving to prepare the agreed upon meal. Lena begrudgingly swung her legs over the side of her bed, glancing at her phone screen with a purpose beyond muting her alarm for the first time that morning. She smiled at a notification from Kara - they were on opposite coasts, so it was common for Lena to wake up to a goodnight text from Kara thanks to the time difference. 

**Kara, 3:28:** I’m going to bed, but I know it’ll be your first day of school when you read this. Good luck, you’re gonna do great!

There was a string of encouraging emojis, not all of which made sense to Lena. She chuckled softly at the message, finding herself slightly more willing to stand and make her way to the bathroom to brush her teeth and take a brisk shower. As the warm water washed over her, she let her thoughts wander. Kara’s first day of school would start in a few hours as well. Did the blonde wish Lena would be there as badly as Lena did? Certainly not. Despite her best efforts, Lena had reasons for wanting to be near Kara that went beyond the bubbly girl’s friendship. And Kara certainly didn’t feel things for Lena to that extent. 

Turning off the water with a self deprecating sigh, Lena did her best to rid herself of the thoughts. There were more pressing matters than pining over her best friend, anyway. Namely, deciding if a blue or red flannel would compliment her dark skinny jeans better. The distraction worked for the most part, until she found herself shrugging on the red option with Kara’s voice echoing  _ “That red is  _ perfect _ for you Lee”  _ in her head.

~~~

It had been two months since school had started, and Lena could say she was adapted. Jack kept her company, more so out of habit from their copious days together when they pretended to date than anything else, and she fell into a comfortable rhythm. She texted Kara every morning, usually in response to a good morning text Kara had sent as she went to bed. She would go through the motions of school, doing her work and breezing through the classes as always. When she got home she would do her homework, occasionally tinkering on something in the garage-turned-lab of the guest house with Jack. It wasn’t rare that she would end the day with a FaceTime from Kara, though thanks to timezones they rarely lasted more than an hour before she had to go to bed. 

Her Monday had started like any other, with Hanna gently asking what she would like for breakfast and lunch - the sweet brunette had insisted on packing her lunches as well after discovering her young charge usually skipped the meal. She had driven to school and walked to her first period, only mildly surprised when a girl stepped out in front of her.

“Hey, Lena,” the girl, Maddy if Lena remembered correctly, offered a shy greeting despite her usual confident demeanor. Lena knew enough about Maddy for Kara’s voice to pop into her head and suggest that she should see if Maddy needed anything because  _ Lena it’s the nice thing to do and we both know you’re a nice person _ .

“Hey. Everything okay?” Lena knew the girl had been trying to befriend her, but she honestly just didn’t care enough to reciprocate the attempts. She barely had time to maintain her relationship with Kara as she threw herself into preparing for college, she certainly didn’t have time to cultivate a new one.

Maddy looked down, tucking her blonde hair behind her ear in a way that sort of reminded Lena of Kara. “Uh, yeah. I was just wondering, I mean I know you don’t really talk with people, which I totally respect by the way, I’m not judging you for it, but I guess I was just wondering - and obviously you can say no if you aren’t down with it, but, well, see-”

Eyes catching the clock over Maddy’s shoulder and knowing she had to get to class soon, Lena cut off the mildly endearing ramble. “I’m sorry, I have to get to class soon. Can you…” Lena trailed off, unsure of a polite way to ask the shorter girl to get to the point. It wasn’t that she had a problem with rambling - Kara had shown her just how cute the nervous tendency could be - but she really did have to get to class on time. It was advanced calculus, and they had a big test today. If Lena was in the door a second after the test started she would be automatically failed.

Maddy blushed, nodding quickly. “Yeah, yeah of course, I’m sorry. Uh, I guess I’m just trying to ask… ask you on a date? If that’s okay?”

Lena looked at the girl in front of her, completely caught off guard by the question. She could say yes, a part of her brain was screaming at her to say yes. Maddy was cute - soft roundish features, blonde hair, blue eyes, and some endearing nervous habits. In fact, if you sharpened her features slightly and stretched her height a few inches, the girl would pass for Kara’s twin. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she silently cursed herself. “I’m sorry, Maddy. I would love to, but I’m… I’m kinda caught up on someone else right now.”

Maddy’s hopeful face deflated, but she gave Lena an understanding smile nonetheless. “That’s okay, Lena. I’ll let you get to class.”

Lena felt a slight pang of guilt as Maddy stepped aside to let her continue her path, wishing she could fix the dejected look on her face. The girl was handling the rejection gracefully, but Lena wasn’t stupid enough not to see that she was dissapointed. She knew that Maddy would be a good girlfriend - she was kind, considerate, clearly one for soft but romantic gestures and lowkey nights in. Lena had heard mumbles about her kissing skills too, passed on from the one boy and one girl she had dated in the past. She was honestly just about the perfect girl for Lena, but of course she was hung up on her best friend who lives across the country and could never love her the same way. 

“You really have to get over her at some point,” Jack mumbled to her as Lena met him outside their first period, apparently having watched the exchange from afar. Lena sighed, jaw clenching at the well-intended jab at her heart.

“Or you could tell her. Maybe she feels the same,” Jack added, looking down at the papers on his desk in an attempt to pass the statement off as nonchalant. Lena knew it was anything but - he genuinely believed Lena had a shot with Kara.

Lena disagreed. The warm, kind, supportive, and beautiful being that was Kara Danvers wasn’t going to fall for the average girl that was Lena Luthor. She bit her tongue to hold back the counter argument, knowing all of Jack’s points already. He said Kara looked at her like she hung the stars in the sky, but Lena really just couldn’t see it.

That night, when Kara asked if anything out of the ordinary had happened today, Lena mentioned Maddy asking her out. The way Kara’s eyes widened and her face fell slightly were just a bit too much to pass off with low video quality. The way her voice pitched as she stuttered through asking if Lena had said yes wasn’t just in her head, and the way Kara’s shoulder’s sagged in relief when Lena said she had shot Maddy down was just enough for Lena’s mind to go  _ there.  _ The place where maybe, just maybe, Kara felt the same way about her.

A month later when Lena told her that she would have to stay in Metropolis over winter break for an internship, Kara’s disappointed pout was enough for Lena to think that maybe, just maybe, that place wasn’t too far from reality. The thought simultaneously made her heart do flips and her stomach clench. 

Sure, she had feelings for Kara, but having feelings for Kara and Kara possibly  _ reciprocating  _ those feelings? Those were two entirely different scenarios. If Kara didn’t like her back, Lena could just go on her merry way pinning after a blonde goddess who never looked at her twice. She would have control, because it would just be her heart on the line.

But if Kara liked her back? All that control went out the window in a blink of an eye. If Kara likes her, every choice Lena makes has the potential of hurting the girl. When Kara had walked in that morning to find her in bed with Veronica, that could have hurt her. When Lena had encouraged Kara to go after James, a boy in their grade who had been crushing on her since freshman year, that could have hurt her. All the times that Lena could have accidentally driven a knife into Kara’s heart in the same way Kara would do to her in attempts at being supportive suddenly came rushing into her head, and Lena found herself getting barely two hours of sleep that night thanks to her racing thoughts. God, she could have hurt Kara countless times without even meaning to depending on how long Kara may have felt the same as Lena did. And  _ shit  _ Kara could really like her back couldn’t she?

Lena had been so caught up in her own pinning she hadn’t even properly considered Kara liking her back on some level. She had shot down every point Jack brought up without really considering it first. She didn’t know what to think beyond the fact that this is  _ not  _ how this was supposed to go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so there’s definitely one chapter left, maybe two? The next chapter is their last semester, but I’m considering one more that wraps it all up in an epilogue sort of way. Any preference from you guys?


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The winter break of senior year. I meant for it to only be a scene or two but uhm.... it kinda got big. Y’all are gonna like this one.

Winter break started out just as Lena expected. Kara got out of school a few days before Lena did, so she got to text the girl when she got home without worrying about distracting her from her classes. Kara asked her a handful of times if she was absolutely sure she couldn’t come stay with the Danvers for at least a little bit of winter break, and Lena wished she could say yes if for no reason beyond making Kara smile. Nonetheless, Lena’s internship didn’t allow for time off and she found herself sitting on her bed in the guest house, staring at the two paintings Kara had made her. 

It was nearing the time Kara would usually wake up, and Lena considered sending a goodmorning text. Before she could grab her phone, she heard Hanna answering the door.

“I’m sorry, the main house is further up the drive,” Lena heard Hanna say to whoever it was. Knowing Jack would have been let in already, Lena fell back on her bed and pulled her headphones over her ears, choosing the Spotify playlist Kara had made for her before zoning out.

The first song on the playlist was Someone To You, and Lena wondered if Kara put that one on there because she thought Lena would like it or if her thoughts were a bit deeper than that. A few songs played, Lena letting her brain empty of anything but the sounds as she stared at her ceiling. She wasn’t exactly sure how long she stayed like that, but a somewhat angry looking Hanna gently knocked on her door to pull her from her revive.

“I’m sorry to disturb you, Miss,” Hanna spoke as soon as Lena had placed her headphones around her neck. “But there is someone outside who is insisting to see you.”

Lena frowned - Hanna knew that she wouldn’t let anyone besides Jack or his parents into the house, the latter solely out of gratefulness for the Sphere’s allowing her to stay with them. The one time Jack had come down with a friend from school, Lena had all but run to hide, asking Hanna to tell the pair that she had gone for a walk. 

Seeing Lena’s confusion, Hanna was quick to explain further. “I tried to send her away, truly, but she insisted that you wouldn’t want me to. She wouldn’t leave, I’m sorry.”

Lena’s eyes widened. “It’s a woman?”

Hanna nodded, and Lena felt her stomach drop. Had Lillian really gone as far as driving out to the Sphere estate? Lena had severed her ties to the Luthor name, taking whatever was in her name and leaving everything else. Lillian hadn’t fought her declaring herself an independent, and Lena thought that would be the end of it. But who else would be at her door besides Lillian?

“O-okay. Uhm, just allow me to get dressed. Please bring her into the entry and I will be out shortly.”

Hanna was briefly surprised by Lena’s formality - her young boss had never been so rigid in her speech. Feeling a surge of protectiveness towards the girl clearly putting up walls before her very eyes, Hanna gave a firm nod and returned to the entry to try and find a way to minamize Lena’s discomfort.

After rushing through her closets and stumbling into the nicest thing she could find - a formal blue button down tucked into a black pencil skirt - and quickly doing her hair up into a high ponytail, Lena made her way to where Hanna and Lillian would be waiting.

Except it wasn’t Lillian who Hanna was sizing up as if the petite 5’4” maid could possibly intimidate her.

“Oh _wow._ You- you look-”

“Kara?” Lena interrupted whatever the blonde was trying to stammer out, needing some sort of confirmation for what her eyes were seeing.

The blinding smile she got in response was all she needed. “Hey, Lee.”

Lena all but squealed, crashing into the solid, tangible woman in front of her. She felt Kara’s arms wrap around her, felt the muscles and soft skin. She breathed deep and let Kara’s smell engulf her, not caring if that was probably a little creepy because it was _Kara_ and she was _here._

When she finally did pull back, it was just far enough to take in Kara’s face. The bright twinkle in her crystal blue eyes, the deep creases at the edges from her smile. Lena’s eyes briefly darted down, taking in her broad smile framed by soft lips, before she caught herself and forced her attention to literally any other part of Kara’s face. Her small scar over her eye, the pink tint to her cheeks, her hair gently framing her features. 

“Hey,” Kara’s voice was soft and filled with excitement, everything about her radiating pure happiness as she looked down at the woman in her arms.

“Hi,” Lena’s response was like a breath, but given the fact that they were less than a foot apart she wasn’t worried about being heard.

Kara glanced down as if she remembered something before taking a step back and looking Lena fully up and down. “Why are you dressed…”

“Like I’m a middle aged rich lady?” Lena supplied with a smirk.

Kara chuckled at the joke, but she shook her head. “I was gonna say like-” suddenly Kara blushed and shook her head more firmly, looking away from Lena. “I was gonna say so formally. Yeah, formal. Uhm, because you’re wearing fancy clothes, so, like, formal stuff.”

Lena tilted her head, not believing her for a second. “Sure you were, Darling.”

That just made Kara’s blush deeper, and she was starting to look like she might combust. “I- I don’t- whaaaaaaaat?”

Lena laughed, taking pity on the blonde and moving on. “I thought you were Lillian,” she explained, “so I was trying to look more put together than sweats and an old tshirt.”

Kara cringed in apology. “Sorry, I probably should’ve given you a heads up. I just wanted to surprise you.”

Lena smiled and shook her head. “No need to apologize, Love. The surprise is welcome.” Catching Hanna’s confused expression out of the corner of her eye and remembering the third woman had no idea what was going on, she took one more step back from Kara to put them at a reasonable distance and made introductions. “Hanna, this is Kara, my friend that you’ve heard me calling. Kara, this is Hanna.”

Kara hesitantly held out her hand for Hanna to shake. The brunette looked young, passably 19. The only reason Kara could think of for a pretty 19 year old girl in jeans and a hoodie to be in Lena’s house was, well… it was an idea that didn’t sit nicely in her stomach. Not missing the odd way that Kara was looking at her, Hanna added to her introduction.

“Mrs.Sphere assigned me to help Miss.Lena with groceries and such.”

Kara thought Lena had been doing just fine at taking care of groceries and such when she lived in Midvale, but decided not to comment. Lena had mentioned Jack’s mom being insistent that she had help, so she pushed down the tight coil in her chest.

~~~

“So, how long do I have you for?” Lena asked. She was sitting on her bed, watching Kara look around her room here. It wasn’t very personal - the only thing of her’s besides work and clothes was the two paintings Kara had made her. Nonetheless, Kara was looking through it all.

“Forever,” Kara answered without thinking about the question. It made Lena smile, then blush because she remembered that maybe Kara could mean it the way that Lena wanted her to.

“I mean how long will you be in town,” Lena specified through a chuckle.

The smile Kara shot over her shoulder made Lena’s heart skip a beat.

“I’ve got a flight for next Friday.”

Lena’s eyebrows knit together. “You’re spending Christmas here?”

“Yeah,” Kara turned to face Lena, leaning back against her desk. “Is that okay?”

  
Lena was pretty sure she had a stupidly crooked smile on her face right now, but Kara Danvers had just said she would be spending Christmas with her so _casually,_ like it was the only right option. Kara Danvers who hadn’t spent Christmas away from the Danvers’ since they adopted her, who cited the holiday as what started her creeping her way into the family. Kara Danvers who had literally _cried_ last year when she realized there would come a time where she might live too far away to spend Christmas with her family. Yet here she was, spending it with Lena without a second thought. 

“More than okay,” Lena confirmed.

~~~

“Miss, Jack wants to know if you would like to go sledding,” Hanna said from the doorway.

Lena was curled into Kara’s side, reading a book while the blonde scrolled through social media. She looked up at Kara, who shrugged her acceptance of the idea. Looking to Hanna, Lena gave a warm smile that the maid had seen much more since Kara came to visit. “Tell him we’ll get dressed. He’s welcome to come in.”

Hanna nodded before disappearing down the hall to relay the message. Kara watched Lena get up and stretch with a small smile. “So you do have fun up here? It’s not all internships and college prep?”

Lena rolled her eyes as she selected her outfit. “Unfortunately Jack has taken it upon himself to ensure I do at least one teenager activity a month.”

Kara’s smile widened. “I think I’ll like Jack.”

“Always a nice thing to hear from a pretty girl,” a man’s voice came from the doorway, and Kara was quick to spin and face him - Jack, she realized.

“I believe I told you she’s off limits, didn’t I?” Lena chidded, though there was no real malice in her voice. Kara turned back towards her to ask what she meant by that when she realized Lena was changing. Not just picking out clothes, but removing her pajamas and pulling on the clothes she chose.

Kara’s jaw dropped as she watched the way Lena’s stomach moved while pulling on her shirt, quickly averting her eyes when she realized she was staring because _that’s your best friend, Kara, get your shit together._

Lena was too busy getting dressed to notice, but Jack proved slightly more observant as he offered her a knowing smile. Kara wished she could be offended by it, but it was more of a “I’ve been there, buddy” than anything annoying. Deciding it would be best to remove herself from the situation, Kara was quick to grab sweatpants and a long sleeve shirt from her suitcase and make her way to Lena’s bathroom to change.

As soon as Kara was out of earshot, Jack let out a short laugh. “Jesus Lena, how do you have _any_ doubts? She was practically drooling!”

Lena rolled her eyes, throwing her balled up pajama shirt at his face rather than giving any verbal response.

30 minutes later the three seniors were standing at the top of the large hill behind the main house, each with a sled in hand. Kara, who was raised on the beaches of California, was wearing sweatpants, a long sleeve shirt, a flanel, a winter jacket, gloves, and a beanie to protect against the cold. Next to Jack, who wore jeans and a pullover, and Lena, who wore jeans and a button up, Kara made for a very amusing sight. 

“I still think you guys are insane,” Kara’s voice was muffled around the scarf she wrapped up to keep her face warm, and the only response to her statement was laughter.

“Race you to the bottom?” Lena offered, throwing down her dark wood sled and finding a comfortable position on top of it.

“Oh you are _on,_ Luthor,” Jack eagerly climbed onto his lighter wood sled, lining himself up perfectly with the red stripe down the middle as he had since they were children. When Lena had teased him about his insistence on position, Jack had defended that the stripe had to be there for a reason and _it’s for balance, Lena!_

“You really do just love to lose, don’t you Sphere?” Lena spoke with a smirk, her voice light and teasing. The boy next to her just looked straight ahead, waiting for the countdown with a serious scowl. Lena laughed, looking up at Kara. “Are you racing?”

Kara looked hesitantly down at the sled in her hands, matching Jack’s, before shaking her head. “You guys- you, uh, need a judge, right?”

Seeing Kara’s discomfort, Lena nodded and offered a radiant smile.”Sure. Do you want to wait at the bottom? You can decide which of us reaches you first.”

Kara returned the smile gratefully, jogging down the hill and putting her hands around her mouth like a megaphone once she was at what she deemed a reasonable finish line. “On go, ready?”

The pair at the top of the hill, little more than small silhouettes from the distance, waved their arms in agreement.

“Three!”

Jack planted his feet deeper in the snow, ready to push off.

“Two!”  
Lena tightened her grip on her reigns, rapping them around her knuckles to shorten them.

“One!”

Jack shot Lena a cocky smile, which the brunette didn’t hesitate to return.

“GO!”

They were off, each pulling their feet quickly up and situating them against the little wall the curve of the front made. Swerving around sticks and other obstacles they had placed to make it harder, they taunted each other between laughs.

“Step on the gas, Grandma!” Lena shouted as she finally got the lead on Jack, passing him by a few feet and pulling in front of him so he couldn’t regain the distance.

She was too distracted with staying in Jack’s path to see one particularly large branch they had placed just before the finish line, and one of her runners got caught on it. Her sled flipped, throwing her forward and directly into the person standing at the finish line - Kara. Both girl’s tumbled to the ground, Kara instinctively wrapping her arms around Lena and twisting to cushion her fall despite the thick layer of snow below them being the perfect cushion. Kara’s breath flew out of her with a huff on impact, and Lena’s face was close enough for her to feel it.

Lena stared down at her best friend, about to climb off and apologize when she made eye contact with her and simply forgot how to breathe. Sure, she knew Kara was pretty. She saw her perfect blue eyes and toothy grin every time she closed her own eyes, and she had dreams of tracing Kara’s features with her fingertips. But with snow mixed with hair framing her face, bringing out a whole new shade of blue in her eyes and emphasizing her flawless tan… Lena’s mind short circuited. 

She knew it was a cliche - she fell on top of her crush and now all she can think about is just how perfect said crush is, what a typical rom-com trope. But then Kara was licking her lips and suddenly _that_ was all Lena could think about. She wondered if Kara’s lips were as soft as they looked. She knew all she would have to do to find out is just lean down that extra little bit…

“Uhm, I- I’d say you won the race,” Kara’s voice was strangled, as if she was speaking around a tennis ball sized lump in her throat. Lena took that as a sign of discomfort and was quick to push herself off of Kara and break whatever moment they were having.

“Uh, yeah. I know, Jack sucks at sledding,” Lena joked, but the stab was said with less firmness than usual thanks to the way Lena’s mind was still reeling from what she had just almost done. Jesus, how much of a useless lesbian was she? All it took to break the self control she prided herself on was to be a bit closer to Kara than usual. That’s not- that _can’t_ be normal. 

“Oh screw you, Lena!” Jack’s shout was enough to get her somewhat back to herself, standing up and dusting the snow off of her clothes before offering Kara a hand up.

One glance to the spot a few feet away where her sled had landed made it obvious it would be out of commission for the time being - the runner that had caught on the branch had come clean off, landing deep in the snow a good yard away, only visible because of how the steel caught the sunlight.

“Don’t worry, Jack, looks like the fates decided to save you some extra embarrassment today.”

Following her eyes, the other two saw the very much broken sled. Without missing a beat, Kara held her sled out to Lena. “Here, you can use this one.”

Lena raised her eyebrows. “Don’t you want to sled?” 

“Nah, it’s okay.” Picking up on the way Kara avoided her eyes when she answered, the pieces clicked in Lena’s brain. She ducked down slightly to catch Kara’s gaze before answering with a soft smile.

“Are you scared?”

Kara’s eyes widened, and she did her best to sputter through a denial but Lena saw right through it.

“It’s okay to be scared, Darling.” A quick glance around the property and Lena found a smaller hill, already mostly clear of any obstacles. She held her hand out for Kara to take. “C’mon, we can start smaller.”

Kara took Lena’s hand without a second thought, but was still hesitant to let herself be led up the lighter slope to the top of another hill. When Lena set down the sled and held it still so she could easily get on, Kara couldn’t stop the refusal tumbling from her lips with a shake of her head.

“N-no, I- this is still pretty steep, and I don’t know how to steer, and-”

A gentle hand on her shoulder stopped Kara’s rapid speech. “Alright. Would you feel better if I went down with you?” The soft earnest in Lena’s eyes took Kara off guard. Lena had mentioned before that sledding was just about the only child-like thing she had gotten to do at the Luthor’s, and Kara realized Lena was trying to share something important with her.

Taking a deep breath, Kara nodded. She could do that. She could go down a baby hill with Lena, if it’s important to her. She’s done worse, she rode Lena’s motorcycle after all! How much scarier can it be to sit down on a sled for the first time than a motorcycle?

Besides, Lena’s beaming smile once Kara agreed was one of the best things Kara had ever seen and made it well worth the fear.

Lena situated herself towards the back of the sled, gesturing for Kara to sit down in front of her. She hesitantly did so, and felt Lena’s arms wrap around her to reach the reins.

Lena situated herself against Kara’s back, doing her best not to focus on Kara’s smell or the warmth she radiated. “You ready?” she asked.

Kara took a deep breath and nodded, so Lena lifted her feet off the ground and placed them on the wall of the sled next to Kara’s. Without the anchors of her feet, the sled slowly started moving down the hill. They picked up a little speed on the way down, but whenever Lena thought it might be going a bit too fast she would pull to one side or the other and slow down. She had flashbacks to when Jack first taught her to sled, and had to fight back a laugh at the irony.

At the time, Jack was harboring a huge crush on her that he hadn’t voiced. He had convinced her to go sledding with him, and Lena was rather certain they went down this very hill with Jack behind her very similarly to how she was currently behind Kara. When she caught Jack stifling a laugh out of the corner of her eye, she knew he had made the connection too and would tease her _endlessly_ for it.

That’s how they passed the rest of the afternoon, sledding down various inclines around the estate. Kara even got confident enough to try the obstacle course herself, and she did a pretty good job of it too. While Lena had been happily encouraging her from the sidelines, Jack slipped off to find the ladder to scamper up onto the guest house roof.

“Hey, Lena! Can you toss me my sled?” 

Lena looked away from where Kara was jumping up and down in celebration of making it down the hill to see Jack standing on the slim section of the end of the roof that flattened out - that section just happened to make the roof into a perfect sledding ramp.

“Since when can you steer through that?” Lena shouted back, thinking of the last time Jack had tried to sled off the roof on his own and broke his arm.

“I mean I was hoping you’d do it with me,” Jack replied, and even if he was little more than a silhouette against the setting sun she knew he had to be grinning. She rolled her eyes, but reached for the requested sled.

Kara’s gloved hand caught her wrist, and Lena looked up to see fear in blue eyes. Giving what she hoped to be a reassuring smile, Lena explained, “I’ve done this a million times. Jack’s the one who can’t control his sled.”

That only eased the worry evident on Kara’s partly covered face minutely, but she didn’t stop Lena from going up the ladder. Once she was as high up the roof as she dared, Jack held the sled in place while she sat down. At her nod, Jack maneuvered his way to sit in front of her, and on the count of three they both lifted their feet.

Lena had forgotten how thrilling the jump was. When the roof leveled out and launched them into the air, time always felt like it slowed down, keeping them suspended in air a moment longer than physics should allow. Falling was just as exhilarating, leaving her stomach at the peak of the jump as she gently pulled on the reins to ensure they landed evenly. With only a small jostle they were sliding across the snow, up the short hill she had targeted, and then they were in the air again for a brief moment before landing smoothly and slowing to a stop.

Both Lena and Jack were breathless from the thrill, tumbling off the sled with unrestrained laughter as Kara rushed up to them.

“Lena! Are you okay? That first landing looked rough, are you hurt?” Kara crouched next to Lena, closely looking her over for any sign of injury.

“I’m fine, Kara, I promise,” Lena sat up with a bright twinkle in her eyes, and this time when she found her face mere inches from Kara’s she didn’t panic. The rush of that ride left her exhilarated, and all her inhibitions were briefly gone. “Better than fine.”

Kara glanced down at Lena’s lips, clearly noticing how close they were. That was the only encouragement Lena needed in her adrenaline filled state to lean forward and press her lips firmly against Kara’s.

At first Kara went still against her, and all the reasons Lena had never done this came rushing back into her mind. She didn’t know if Kara liked her, hell she didn’t even know if Kara liked girls. She might’ve just ruined their whole friendship on a whim and dear God why did she do that- and then Kara’s hands were against her cheeks, and new reasons Lena wished she had done this long ago flooded in because _God_ Kara was a good kisser. Her lips were soft, her touches gentle, her movements precise. The kiss simultaneously calmed every racing thought she had ever experienced and sent electricity through every inch of Lena’s body. Lena felt Kara’s fingers running through her hair and she melted under the touch, giving full control of the kiss to Kara.

When a tongue swiped against her lips, earning a moan in response, Jack coughed awkwardly. “I’m gonna have to draw the line there, guys.”

Kara pulled back bashfully, but Lena couldn’t find it in her to be embarrassed because she had just kissed Kara and Kara had kissed her back and this might be the best moment of her life. They were both too breathless from the kiss to vocalize any apology, but Jack’s smile made it clear he was just happy for them.

Later that night, Kara and Lena were positioned exactly like they had been that morning except now Kara would occasionally lean down and steal a kiss from the woman in her arms. Lena’s phone dinged with a text from Jack, containing nothing but an image. She hesitated a moment, thinking about the pictures Jack usually sent her - mostly memes about being a lesbian pinning over her best friend - before remembering Kara knew about all that now and she wasn’t pining anymore. Unlocking her phone and opening the message, she found a picture of two people backed by a sunset.

It was her and Kara, she realized after a beat. It was her and Kara kissing in the snow. Jack had pulled out his phone to get a picture of their first kiss, and Lena was filled with a rush of affection towards the man followed quickly by an urge to kiss Kara more because she _could._

She did just that, shifting so she was on top of Kara and could kiss her properly. Kara didn’t seem to mind, and Lena could feel her smiling into the kiss. 

“What was that for?” Kara asked once they separated.

“I just really like kissing you, is all,” Lena replied with a smile.

Kara matched the smile, and she began fidgeting with Lena’s hands from their place on her chest. “I really like kissing you too, Lee.”

Lena’s smile grew at that, pressing a chaste kiss to Kara’s lips before realizing Kara wasn’t holding eye contact anymore. Kara couldn’t have changed her mind that quickly, right? Surely she hadn’t already come to the conclusion that Lena wasn’t worthy of her? Lena’s self doubts came flooding in, and she did her best to keep them out of her voice as she asked, “what’s wrong?” 

Kara looked down to where she was fidgeting with Lena’s fingers, and if she wasn’t so concerned in the moment Lena would have found the sight endearing.

“It’s- it’s nothing, really. I just… I really really like kissing you, but I also really really like talking to you, and hanging out with you, and cuddling you, and… just _you_ , Lena.” Kara finally made eye contact with her again, trying to drive home her point as deeply as she could. “I really, really like you, Lena.”

Lena smiled genuinely at the firm statement, but it just confused her further. Kara must’ve seen the confusion on Lena’s face, because she tried to get her point across again.

“I want to be around you as much as I can, in whatever way I can,” Kara paused, hopping Lena might be starting to get the point. When Lena gave no sign of it, Kara looked down again and mumbled the last part of her statement, “and the idea of someone else being around you instead of me makes my stomach twist.”

Understanding dawned on Lena’s face, and she smiled softly at Kara. “Darling, are you trying to ask me to be your girlfriend?”

“Yeah,” Kara looked up at Lena again, a blush tinting her cheeks. “Is that okay?”

Lena couldn’t stop herself from pressing yet another kiss to Kara’s lips, though this one was far more passionate than their previous ones. She poured every feeling she had for the girl underneath her into the kiss, only pulling away when her lungs were burning for air. The image in front of her was enough to make her heart skip a beat. Kara Danvers, looking up at her with a shy but hopeful smile, disheveled from a kiss Lena had given her. 

“More than okay,” Lena promised. 

~~~

The next day Jack dug up some paints and an easel for Kara, and suddenly the blonde was spending quite a bit of time closed in the garage. Lena knew Kara wasn’t a fan of people watching her paint or seeing her unfinished work, so she did her best to stay out of the makeshift studio. Kara seemed perfectly fine with Lena latching on to her as soon as she was out of the space to make up for lost cuddling time, and some days Lena swore Kara would stay in there just a bit longer than usual to make Lena’s newfound clinginess that much more dramatic.

Kara spent hours in there every day, right up until Christmas Eve - because then she quite literally spent the entire day working on whatever it was she was painting. Lena hadn’t thought to ask, knowing Kara wasn’t comfortable talking about her art to begin with let alone something as important to her as this one must be considering the time she was spending on it. Sitting alone in her room for the sixth consecutive hour that her girlfriend (a thought that would probably never stop making her heart do flips) had been closed in the garage, she found herself wishing she knew what was so important.

“I mean really, I just want cuddles,” Lena mumbled to herself with a scowl, which earned a laugh from the doorway. Her head shot up to see Kara, hair in a messy bun and clothes displaying various paint stains. Lena’s face split into a huge smile instantly as she reached out her hands in a grabbing motion.

Kara laughed at her once again but crawled into Lena’s arms nonetheless, positioning them so Lena’s head was on her chest while she played with the smaller girl’s hair. “Miss me much?” she teased.

Lena didn’t even bother responding, just nuzzled her face against Kara’s chest and gave a happy sigh. And maybe she fell asleep a little bit, but it was late, and her favorite pillow had been busy all day.

She woke up the next morning to said pillow anxiously fidgeting whilst doing her best not to wake Lena up, who had somehow gotten even more entangled with Kara in her sleep. 

“Wha’s wrong, Love?” Lena’s voice was rough with sleep, and her eyes were only half open, but the concern in both were genuine.

“Nothing, did I wake you?” 

Lena shook her head against Kara’s chest, snuggling in once again. “Don’t think so.”

“Well, Merry Christmas by the way.” Kara’s voice was much more cheerful than it was before, and it made Lena happy to hear the change.

“Merry Christmas,” Lena echoed. She wondered if Kara had gotten her something and was nervous about it. Lena had assumed Kara’s gift was flying out to Metropolis to stay with her, but she couldn’t think of any other reason for Kara to be this nervous.

After another moment of the bliss that Lena found in Kara’s arms, she stood and stretched before padding into the bathroom to brush her teeth so she could kiss Kara goodmorning. When she came back out though, Kara was gone. 

“Kara?” she looked up and down the hallway outside the bedroom, seeing no sign of where the woman had gone. She made her way to the kitchen, suspecting Kara had gotten up to find food - that’s where she usually was when she disappeared in the mornings.

Halfway to the kitchen she heard the front door open, so she changed course to find Kara standing in the doorway.

“Where are you off to?”

Kara spun around, giving Lena a big smile. “I was testing the weather to see how warm I need to dress for our morning walk!”

Lena tilted her head. “We’re going for a morning walk?”

Kara nodded, all but skipping past Lena and into the kitchen. “After I make pancakes, of course.”

“Banana chocolate chip?” Lena asked as she trailed after the peppy blonde.

“You know it!”

After breakfast they cleaned up together before getting dressed for their walk. It was nice - Lena usually went on morning walks when she had time, since it was the simplest way to make her a fully functioning human in the morning without ten pounds of coffee being injected into her veins. Kara let her lead the walk through the forests behind the Sphere estate, commenting on the remains of games she had played with Jack when they were kids. A half finished treehouse there, a cluster of stones here. Kara loved learning more about Lena’s childhood, specifically learning it wasn’t all Lillian being a complete bitch.

On their way back to the guesthouse, Jack came running down the driveway insisting that Lena come with him to check something out with the sleigh. Kara said she needed to pee, sending the pair on without her. If Lena hadn’t been searching Kara’s face for any hint of a lie she might’ve noticed the quick thumbsup Jack shot the blonde. 

The thing that Jack apparently needed her opinion on was if he should repaint them, because apparently the strip of wood exposed when she had broken the runner off a few days back was in much better condition than the rest of the sled and so he should probably redo them, right?

Lena just rolled her eyes. “Jack, I couldn’t give two shits about how dark the wood of my sled is. So long as the runners work and the sealant is good, you can do what you want with it. You know that.”

Jack nodded repeatedly, “Yes, I do know that, but you see, I was wondering if you had a preference is all. Because if I were to paint it, this sled would be out of commission for like a week.”

“The other ones are better for two person riding anyway,” Lena answered with a shrug. “Do you need anything else, or can I go make my girlfriend coco?”

Jack glanced at his watch before nodding his approval. “Yes, I’ve kept you up here long enough, go ahead.”

Jack had never said anything along those lines, and Lena almost stayed to ask what he meant. She decided she cared more about hot chocolate and starting a Harry Potter marathon though, so she walked out of the shed and down towards the guest house.

As she approached, she saw a view that gave her a bit of deja-vu. Kara was standing in front of the door with something in her hands. For some reason she was just in jeans and a light jacket, even though Lena was sure that she had to be freezing. As she got closer, she realized what the scene reminded her of - when Kara gave her the first painting. 

If you took away the snow and replaced the forest with the ocean, it was almost the exact same image, down to the soft blue hoodie.

“What are you doing out here? You’re going to freeze!” Lena called once she was within reasonable speaking distance.

Kara just smiled, “Get up here quicker then!”

Lena obliged, picking up her pace to just shy of a jog. Once she reached her, Lena reached out a hand to touch Kara’s cheek. “You’re literally freezing, what are you doing out here?”

Kara smiled, as if she had just said the perfect thing. “It’s okay, Lee. I just wanted to give you this.” Kara held out the thing in her hands, and Lena had to laugh.

“Are you telling me you stood out here, freezing your ass off, just to recreate you giving me the first painting?” 

Kara nodded, a sheepish smile finding its way onto her face. “I thought it’d be cute.”

Lena smiled, taking what she was sure was a canvas wrapped in brown paper from Kara before leaning up to give her a chaste kiss. “It’s very cute, Darling. Now come inside before you get hypothermia.”

Once they made their way to the kitchen, Lena opened the package to reveal, as she had guessed, a canvas. She smiled to herself, getting that full feeling in her chest she got with both of the previous paintings Kara had given her. It was colored like the sunset, just like the previous two, and Lena was already thinking of where the nails were so she could hang this one as well. When she got all the wrapping off, her jaw slackened to the point of her looking like a fish.

“Do you like it?” Kara asked hesitantly.

It was the picture Jack had taken of their first kiss, but every possible detail was shown. Kara had zoomed in the image slightly so she could show the soft smile at the edges of Lena’s lips, or the way that Kara’s eyebrows were ever so slightly raised for the whole kiss. The details were immaculate, especially considering they were backed by the setting sun which gave very little room for clear features. All of Kara’s artwork blew Lena away, but this piece was just next level.

“Kara… it’s beautiful.”

Kara gave a broad smile, moving to wrap her arms around Lena from behind. Chin resting on her shoulder, she explained, “Now you have all the steps painted. The beginning, when we met. The middle, when we were friends. And now you’ve got the end, when we’re together.”

Lena felt her heart swell so big it hurt. “I love it.”

~~~

Lena drove her to the airport five days later, wishing she didn’t have to say goodbye when she only just got Kara in the way she’d wanted for ages. Kara stopped just before security, turning to pull Lena tightly into her arms.

“I’m gonna miss you,” Kara mumbled into her shoulder.

“I’m gonna miss you,” Lena echoed, trying her best to make the hug last for however long it’d be until they saw each other again.

Kara pulled back, noticing for the first time that Lena was wearing the same button up she had put on the day Kara showed up at her door, except it was tucked into ripped jeans rather than a tight pencil skirt. Realizing she could say what she had wanted to the first time, Kara smiled.

“You want to know what I was gonna say you looked like that first day?”

Lena took a moment to catch up to Kara’s train of thought, but once she did she nodded and tilted her head attentively.

Kara cast a quick glance around before leaning in to whisper against Lena’s ear, “I was gonna say you looked like my perfect bottom.”

Lena felt her knees go weak at the rough tone of Kara’s voice, and all she could manage was a choked, “o-oh.”

Kara pulled back with a grin, already back to the soft innocent Kara Danvers that Lena knew and, dare she say it, loved. “See ya, Lee.”

Before Lena could collect herself enough to respond, Kara had already disappeared into the line for airport security. Lena silently cursed whatever being was in charge of her fate because she just got Kara and now the blonde was skipping off after whispering _that_ in her ear and really, this can’t be how it was supposed to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha ha! Did you see what I did with the first kiss? I made you think it was one cliche, but then it was a different one! So innovative. Anywhozit, since I ended up doing the painting thing in this chapter the next one will be their last semester and almost definitely the last chapter. Thank you for reading & supporting me on this!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s their final semester + them moving into college. Honestly probably more college than high school. Maybe 50/50. I dunno it’s senior year that’s basically just college anyways. Either way they’re gay & happy.

Lena had spent the last few days of her winter break catching up on all the work she had ignored during Kara’s visit, but found herself frequently distracted by snapchats Kara would send her throughout the day. The pictures were innocent enough, usually just Kara smiling with a cute filter or goofing off with her friends. Kara had always sent the videos, ever since Lena agreed to get the app last summer. Now though, the images had captions like “I miss you babe” or “I want kisses”, and videos would often be taken by one of Kara’s friends featuring the blonde pouting because Lena wasn’t there.

The shift never failed to make Lena’s heart skip, and often she would stop work to screenshot or screen record the especially cute content and stare at it for as long as she could.

~~~  
Second semester came with college acceptance letters, and both girls agreed not to look at the letters until they could call and open them together. Lena had heard back from all the colleges she had applied to last year - Stanford, MIT, and Cambrige being the ones she had been most excited about before she had to cut herself off from the Luthor family. She already knew where she would have to go for financial reasons - she had applied to National City University last minute when things started to go south with her mother. 

Despite already knowing her fate, and knowing that a big envelope meant acceptance and a smaller one meant denial, Lena patiently waited for all of Kara’s letters to come back. It took a few weeks longer, but when her music was interrupted by the insistent buzzing of her phone Lena figured the last one had arrived.

“Hello, Darling,” Lena said with a warm smile as she answered the call, propping her phone against her laptop screen so she could finish the last paragraph of her report before giving a very excited Kara her full attention.

“Are you free? Do you have a minute?” Kara was visibly bouncing on the screen, too excited to make sure the camera stayed on her face. Combining the two left Lena with a lovely view of her girlfriend’s ceiling or wall every time she glanced to the phone.

“Yes, I just need to finish this before I lose my train of thought. Did you get the letter from NYU?”

New York University had been Kara’s reach school, and the one who’s letter they were waiting on. Given Kara’s excitement, Lena already knew the answer.

“Yup!” Kara confirmed in a sing-song tone full of anticipation and nerves. “And that means we can open ‘em now! Because we both have all our letters, and we were waiting to be able to open them together. Now we can! Because I got my last letter, and you already have all yours!”

Lena chuckled as she listened to Kara explain the current situation as if Lena hadn’t been the one to propose the idea when Kara had mentioned being sad that she couldn’t be with Lena when she opened her letters. “I’m aware, Love.” With a few final taps to her keyboard, she picked up the phone and closed her laptop. “I’m going to get mine now.”

Carrying her phone downstairs, careful to keep it at an angle that was at least somewhat flattering, Lena propped her phone against the first thing she saw - the paper towel stand - and pulled her letters into frame. The whole time Kara was excitedly chattering about how they could be about to decide the next four or more years of their life.

Kara stopped mid word when she noticed the stack in Lena’s hands. “Oh! You’ve got ‘em! Great!” 

She reached for her own, slightly thinner stack and pulled one off the top - a journalism college in Metropolis, Lena recognized when the camera focused enough for her to see the logo. Lena followed suit, grabbing an envelope she thought matched the level of excitement Kara had about her first letter - a smaller college in Metropolis that specializes in biochemical engineering and was close to the Sphere estate.

“Can I count down?” Kara asked, practically vibrating.

“Go ahead,” Lena nodded.

“Three… two… one!”

The sound of ripping paper filled both of their rooms for a brief moment, followed by the rustling of paper as they each found the letter that gave that simple yes or no. Lena quickly scanned her acceptance letter, found who to contact with her answer, highlighted it, and set aside the envelope.

“Lee!” Kara’s squeal was distorted by the speakers, but it still caught Lena’s attention and earned a smile. “Lee, I think this is a yes! I got in!”

“I’m not surprised, Darling. You’re amazing, what college wouldn’t want you?”

Kara gave her a bright smile at that. “How about you?”

Lena nodded, “I got in too.”

They continued the process, each leaving their dream school for last. When Lena finally picked up the big envelope from MIT, she felt a pit in her stomach. They accepted her. Her dream college accepted her but she wouldn’t be able to get the financial aid to go because when she did her applications she was still a Luthor and obviously didn’t qualify for any need-based aid.

Kara hesitantly picked up a smaller envelope from NYU. Lena silently cursed. Of course neither of them would get to go where they wanted. She steeled herself for Kara’s disappointment, already accepting her own.

“Do you want to count down this one?” Kara’s voice was shaky, and Lena knew the offer was less so because Kara thought Lena would want to and more so because Kara didn’t think she’d be able to.

Lena nodded, gently counting. “Three… two… one.”

They each opened their last letter with much more care than they had the previous, Lena because she had already accepted her defeat and Kara because she was bracing against it. Doing what she had done for every other school, Lena pulled out the paper telling her who to contact, highlighted it, and set aside the papers. 

Kara’s face was blank when Lena looked back at her screen, and her heart broke a little inside. Kara had been accepted to every college except the one she liked the most. Lena could still vividly remember how excited Kara had been on the campus tour, and how quickly she had fallen in love with the programs offered. She could still hear a voice high with excitement echoing in her head _“I could_ help _people Lee! Like, really help them!”_

“I’m sorry, Kara.”

The blonde’s head shot up, and she gave Lena a forced smile. “No, it’s- it’s okay. I probably wouldn’t have been able to afford it anyway… I liked other schools too.”

Lena tilted her head in sympathy. “Yeah.” After a beat, Lena said what she hoped was the right thing. “You’ll always help people, no matter what route you take. You will always change the world, and you will always be a hero.”

Kara gave a weak smile, looking down at the letter still clasped in her hands. “Yeah. Probably.”

“No.” Lena spoke firmly, wishing she could be there to physically force Kara to look at her but settling for words instead. “Look at me, Kara. Look at me.” Once she finally had digital versions of blue eyes on her, she continued. “You will change the world. You will help people. You will save people. You are a _hero_ , it’s in your heart. You will always find a way to help people.” She paused, letting the words sink in before offering her final point in a much softer tone, doing her best not to put her walls up as she spoke. “I know you will always be a hero, because you, Kara Danvers, are my hero.”

Despite the insecurity the admittance forced up in her, Kara’s bashful smile was worth it. Maybe she hadn’t quite managed to convince the blonde, but she’d definitely helped and she would sit in any kind of pain or discomfort to help Kara.

~~~

Over the next few weeks, Kara debated endlessly on which school she should go to. She would call Lena just to set her phone on the desk and pace across her room and rant. Lena was happy to be a sounding board for all of her girlfriend’s worries, listening patiently and throwing in small pieces of encouragement or advice when she felt it fit.

“I just really don’t want a bunch of loans, ya know?” Kara was saying on one such occasion. “I could go to the school out in Metroplis, but I would have to take out so much money and I’m not even sure it’s worth it for a slightly different stamp on a piece of paper.” 

Kara flopped down in her desk chair, huffing a piece of stray hair out of her face and looking at the screen displaying Lena’s attentive face. “I wish I had money like you.”

When Lena’s face tightened slightly, Kara quickly realized her mistake and back tracked. “I don’t mean that in a bad way, it’s just that- well, you aren’t gonna have to take out loans or anything, cuz your dad runs a company.”

“Kara,” Lena tried.

“Not that it’s not fair or anything, or that it makes your life super easy, I know that your family sucks- which I don’t mean in a rude way either! I just meant that I know being a Luthor isn’t easy for you, and I know that you’ve said you’d give up the money to get away from it.”

“Kara,” Lena tried again with more force.

“ I totally am sucking as your girlfriend right now and I’m so sorry I swear I didn’t mean it in a mean way you just won’t have to take out loans- which is great! And you got into MIT, which means you don’t really have to think all that much about where to go which is also great and-”

“Kara!” Lena had to shout to finally get the blonde to stop rambling. 

Realizing that she had probably been trying to get a word in the whole time, Kara blushed and gave a sheepish smile. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay, Love,” Lena promised. “Both things. The money thing and the ramble.” She paused, looking down and debating if she should share the last piece of information. “You’re right, I don’t have to think about where I’m going to school.”

Kara tilted her head, brow furrowing when it didn’t seem like Lena was going to add to the statement. “There’s a very clear ‘but’ in there.”

Lena sighed. “But… I’m not going to MIT. I’m going to NCU.”

Kara’s jaw dropped. “What? W- why? Why NCU? Why didn’t you tell me? I- there’s so many why’s!”

Lena chuckled at the flabbergasted image on her screen despite the somewhat grim topic at hand. “I emancipated myself from the Luthor family so I wouldn’t have to marry Mike,” she explained. “Which means I don’t exactly have the money for anything besides the merit based full ride NCU gave me when I applied last minute.”

Kara opened and closed her mouth a few times, and Lena found herself deeply wishing she could be there to kiss the confused crinkle between her brows.

“I… We’ll talk about the Mike bit later.” There was a slight undertone of jealousy in Kara’s words that made Lena smile. “But why didn’t you tell me?”

Lena shrugged. “I know you’re considering NCU, and I didn’t want to sway your choices with a silly highschool girlfriend.”

Suddenly Kara’s face went from open and confused to guarded and concerned. “You’re not a silly highschool girlfriend to me, Lee.”

Lena could just about throat punch herself right now.

“I didn’t mean it like that, Kara. You know how much you mean to me. I- I just didn’t want you to make the choice with me in mind.”

Kara openly scoffed at that. “You know why I’m still considering the Metropolis school?”

Lena shook her head.

“Because it’s closer to MIT.”

Lena’s eyes widened and her jaw slacked as the point Kara was making hit her chest like a freight train.

“I like NCU better- it’s cheaper, and the programs are just about the same. But I was still up in the air because I thought if I went to the other school I would get to be closer to you.” Kara looked down at something off screen, and Lena assumed she was fidgeting with her hands. “That’s not something I would do for a silly highschool girlfriend.”

“I- I’m sorry, Kara, I didn’t-”

“I know, Lee,” Kara interrupted whatever apology she was trying to stammer out. “I know you can’t see it, but I really do care about you. And I know why it’s hard for you to see, you’ve told me enough stories and Jack gave me quite the speech over break. But if there’s one thing I need you to know, it’s that you are so much more than that to me.”

Lena didn’t know what to say, and even if she did she wasn’t sure she’d be able to say it around the huge lump in her throat because God that did sound a whole lot like what someone who loved her might say and Lena didn’t know what to do with the idea that not only could someone like her back but someone might _love_ her back.

“I- you mean a lot more than that to me, too,” she finally choked out, wishing she could say more but not being able to find the words for it.

Kara smiled though, all traces of the grim seriousness from moments ago gone. “I know that too.”

Lena smiled back. “You sure do seem to know a lot, Miss Danvers.”

“Oh that’s because I know everything, Miss Luthor.”

The couple easily slipped into laughter and teasing, and Lena’s heart felt full beyond belief because in a few months she would be able to do this with Kara in person because Kara wanted to go to NCU and they could be together for a full four years before Lena had to worry about any of this long-term separation again.

~~~

Finals came and went, and summer was spent on facetime calls as Kara picked out their dorm room decorations - because yes, they had requested to dorm together and Kara was hellbent on the request getting approved. Early August Lena got an excited call informing her that the roommate information had come in the mail today and that they were, in fact, going to be roommates.

“Okay you have to help me pick out _everything_ now!” Kara insisted, a happy glint in her eyes that Lena would pay every penny to her name to see all day every day.

“Was I not doing that already?” Lena asked, her own excitement at getting to share a dorm with Kara rather than a complete stranger momentarily dampened with concern in regards to just how much more Kara could pull her into dorm decorating.

“Oh you’ve got no idea,” Alex called, passing behind the couch Kara had settled on for the call since her room was already full of boxes.

Lena laughed despite her nerves, liking the idea of living in a space that would be so… _Kara._

“My only insistence is that the paintings can go up somewhere,” Lena shared.

Kara gave a shy smile and tilted her head. “You really like them that much?”

Lena returned the smile, though her’s was more sure. “I couldn’t imagine not sleeping under them.”

~~~

Mid September was a facetime call that lasted a full three days because Kara refused to hang up the phone until Lena had finished her drive across the country. The call can’t have been that interesting - the highlight was probably the time Lena was stuck behind a wreck and had to pee in a starbucks cup in the backseat. Still, she wasn’t going to say no to Kara and so she let the blonde keep her company until she was pulling up to the campus information center.

“I have to go ask for directions to our dorm, I’ll see you soon,” Lena went to hang up, but Kara shouted protests.

“This call is supposed to last till we see eachother again!” she insisted.

Lena, being the whipped girl she is, muted the call but still didn’t hang up as she made her way to the front desk.

Less than 30 minutes later Lena was walking into their dorm hall to sign in and get her key, when suddenly the call cut off. She looked down at her now dark screen, filling with dread at the idea of Kara’s disappointment for not getting to complete her goal. Had her phone died? Had Kara’s phone died? Was the service bad in here? Why had the call dropped?  
  
A blur of blonde ramming into her alleviated all her concerns.

She let out a loud laugh, instinctively wrapping her arms around the familiar body in her arms. She kissed the top of Kara’s head, whispering “Hello, Darling.”

Kara didn’t respond as she pulled away from the hug, dragging Lena by her hand into what the brunette assumed was a bathroom but didn’t really have time to register because as soon as the door was shut behind them Kara was giving her a searing kiss. She breathed a soft “oh” into Kara’s mouth, the memory of kissing the girl in her arms not nearly as good as actually doing it. It quickly dissolved into a moan when Kara licked her way into her mouth, and then a whine when she pulled back.

“My family is still outside,” Kara explained. “I just really wanted to do that.”

Lena rolled her eyes, adjusting her shirt that had been pushed up by Kara’s wandering hands. “Tease.” There was no real bite in her words - Kara could kiss her like that whenever she wanted.

“M’lady?” Kara asked, offering Lena her hand in a dramatic fashion.

Lena let out a chuckle, taking the hand with an exaggerated curtsy. “M’lord.”

And looking into Kara’s eyes, full of happiness and life and what she was starting to believe could be love, taking in her cheeky grin and the way their hands fit together so perfectly… Lena found herself thinking that this might be how this was supposed to go after all.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! Wow! I finished a long story! This is by far the longest piece I have ever attempted, and I’m beyond grateful to those of you that have stuck around for the ride. I almost don’t want it to be over, but I’ve seen what things like prequels do to series so I think it’s best to end it here. If you have a moment to spare don’t hesitate to let me know what you thought!


End file.
